1498-^ 


BrVV^ 


'  *  a   / 

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9        ' — '- 


900 


THE 
FOUR  VOYAGES 

COL  U°M  BUS 

1492  - 1503. 


Flores 


1  U 


.Brand 


X 


r  r  «  n  <       S 


First  Voy»g«  1492-3  — 
Second  ••  >495-6  — 
Third  "  1498-1500 
Fourth  ••  1502-3 


GIFT  OF 
M.  G.   Luck 


<By 

MARY  JOHNSTON 


BOSTON 

LITTLE,  BROWN,  AND  COMPANY 
1922 


Copyright,  1922, 
BY  LITTLE,  BROWN,  AND  COMPANY. 


All  rights  reserved 

Published  October,  1922 
Reprinted  November,  1922 
Feprinted  December,  1922 

.  iS-'?  GtrVIii    ?  A'* 


PRINTED  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES  OF  AMERICA 


CHAPTER  I 


THE  morning  was  gray  and  I  sat  by  the  sea  near  Palos 
in  a  gray  mood.  I  was  Jayme  de  Marchena,  and  that 
was  a  good,  old  Christian  name.  But  my  grand 
mother  was  Jewess,  and  in  corners  they  said  that  she  never 
truly  recanted,  and  I  had  been  much  with  her  as  a  child. 
She  was  dead,  but  still  they  talked  of  her.  Jayme  de  Mar 
chena,  looking  back  from  the  hillside  of  forty-six,  saw  some 
service  done  for  the  Queen  and  the  folk.  This  thing  and 
that  thing.  Not  demanding  trumpets,  but  serviceable.  It 
would  be  neither  counted  nor  weighed  beside  and  against 
that  which  Don  Pedro  and  the  Dominican  found  to  say. 
What  they  found  to  say  they  made,  not  found.  They  took 
clay  of  misrepresentation,  and  in  the  field  of  falsehood  sat 
them  down,  and  consulting  the  parchment  of  malice,  pro 
ceeded  to  create.  But  false  as  was  all  they  set  up,  the  time 
would  cry  it  true. 

It  was  reasonable  that  I  should  find  the  day  gray. 

Study  and  study  and  study,  year  on  year,  and  at  last 
image  a  great  thing,  just  under  the  rim  of  the  mind's  ocean, 
sending  up  for  those  who  will  look  streamers  above  horizon, 
streamers  of  colored  and  wonderful  light !  Study  and  rea 
son  and  with  awe  and  delight  take  light  from  above.  Dream 
of  good  news  for  one  and  all,  of  life  given  depth  and  brought 
into  music,  dream  of  giving  the  given,  never  holding  it  back, 
which  would  be  avarice  and  betraying!  Write,  and  give 
men  and  women  to  read  what  you  have  written,  and  believe 

en 

M4I878 


—  poor  Deluded!  —  that  they  also  feel  inner  warmth  and 
light  and  rejoice. 

Oh,  gray  the  sea  and  gray  the  shore ! 

But  some  did  feel  it. 

The  Dominican,  when  it  fell  into  his  hands,  called  it  per 
dition.  A  Jewess  for  grandmother,  and  Don  Pedro  for 
enemy.  And  now  the  Dominican  —  the  Dominicans! 

The  Queen  and  the  King  made  edict  against  the  Jews,  and 
there  sat  the  Inquisition. 

I  was  —  I  am  — •  Christian.  It  is  a  wide  and  deep  and 
high  word.  When  you  ask,  "What  is  it  —  Christian?" 
then  must  each  of  us  answer  as  it  is  given  to  him  to  answer. 
I  and  thou  —  and  the  True,  the  Universal  Christ  give  us 
light! 

To-day  all  Andalusia,  all  Castile  and  all  Spain  to  me 
seemed  gray,  and  gray  the  utter  Ocean  that  stretched  no 
man  knew  where.  The  gray  was  the  gray  of  fetters  and  of 
ashes. 

The  tide  made,  and  as  the  waves  came  nearer,  eating  the 
sand  before  me,  they  uttered  a  low  crying.  In  danger  — 
danger  —  in  danger,  Jay  me  de  Marchena! 

I  had  been  in  danger  before.  Who  is  not  often  and  al 
ways  in  danger,  in  life?  But  this  was  a  danger  to  daunt. 

Mine  were  no  powerful  friends.  I  had  only  that  which 
was  within  me.  I  was  only  son  of  only  son,  and  my  parents 
and  grandparents  were  dead,  and  my  distant  kindred  cold, 
seeing  naught  of  good  in  so  much  study  and  thinking  of 
that  old,  dark,  beautiful,  questionable  one,  my  grandmother. 
I  had  indeed  a  remote  kinsman,  head  of  a  convent  in  this 
neighborhood,  and  he  was  a  wise  man  and  a  kindly.  But 
not  he  either  could  do  aught  here ! 

All  the  Jews  to  be  banished,  and  Don  Pedro  with  a  steady 
forefinger,  "That  man  —  take  him,  too!  Who  does  not 
know  that  his  grandmother  was  Jewess,  and  that  he  lived 
with  her  and  drank  poison  ?  "  But  the  Dominican,  "  No ! 
The  Holy  Office  will  take  him.  You  have  but  to  read  —  only 
you  must  not  read  —  what  he  has  written  to  see  why !  " 

[2] 


Gray  Ocean,  stretching  endlessly  and  now  coming  close, 
were  it  not  well  if  I  drowned  myself  this  gray  morning 
while  I  can  choose  the  death  I  shall  die?  Now  the  great 
murmur  sang  Well,  and  now  it  sang  Not  well. 

Low  cliff  and  heaped  sand  and  a  solitary  bird  wide-wing 
ing  toward  the  mountains  of  Portugal,  and  the  Ocean  gray- 
blue  and  salt !  The  salt  savor  entered  me,  and  an  inner  zest 
came  forward  and  said  No,  to  being  craven.  In  banishment 
certainly,  in  the  House  of  the  Inquisition  more  doubtfully, 
the  immortal  man  might  yet  find  market  from  which  to  buy ! 
If  the  mind  could  surmount,  the  eternal  quest  need  not  be 
interrupted  —  even  there ! 

Blue  Ocean  sang  to  me. 

A  vision  —  it  came  to  me  at  times,  vision  —  set  itself  in 
air.  I  saw  A  People  who  persecuted  neither  Jew  nor  thinker. 
It  rose  one  Figure,  formed  of  an  infinite  number  of  small 
figures,  but  all  their  edges  met  in  one  glow.  The  figure 
stood  upon  the  sea  and  held  apart  the  clouds,  and  was  free 
and  fair  and  mighty,  and  was  man  and  woman  melted  to 
gether,  and  it  took  all  colors  and  made  of  them  a  sun  for  its 
brow.  I  did  not  know  when  it  would  live,  but  I  knew  that 
it  should  live.  Perhaps  it  was  the  whole  world. 

It  vanished,  leaving  sky  and  ocean  and  Andalusia.  But 
great  visions  leave  great  peace.  After  it,  for  this  day,  it 
seemed  not  worth  while  to  grieve  and  miserably  to  forebode. 
Through  the  hours  that  I  lay  there  by  the  sea,  airs  from  that 
land  or  that  earth  blew  about  me  and  faint  songs  visited 
my  ears,  and  the  gray  day  was  only  gray  like  a  dove's 
breast. 

Jayme  de  Marchena  stayed  by  the  lonely  sea  because  that 
seemed  the  safest  place  to  stay.  At  hand  was  the  small 
port  of  Palos  that  might  not  know  what  was  breeding  in 
Seville,  and  going  thither  at  nightfall  I  found  lodging  and 
supper  in  a  still  corner  where  all  night  I  heard  the  Tinto 
flowing  by. 

I  had  wandered  to  Palos  because  of  the  Franciscan  con 
vent  of  Santa  Maria  de  la  Rabida  and  my  very  distant  kins- 

[3] 


man,  Fray  Juan  Perez.  The  day  after  the  gray  day  by  the 
shore  I  walked  half  a  league  of  sandy  road  and  came  to 
convent  gate.  The  porter  let  me  in,  and  I  waited  in  a  little 
court  with  doves  about  me  and  a  swinging  bell  above  until 
the  brother  whom  he  had  called  returned  and  took  me  to 
Prior's  room.  At  first  Fray  Juan  Perez  was  stiff  and  cold, 
but  by  littles  this  changed  and  he  became  a  good  man,  large- 
minded  and  with  a  sense  for  kindred.  Clearly  he  thought 
that  I  should  not  have  had  a  Jewish  grandmother,  nor  have 
lived  with  her  from  my  third  to  my  tenth  birthday,  and  most 
clearly  that  I  should  not  have  written  that  which  I  had 
written.  But  his  God  was  an  energetic,  enterprising,  kindly 
Prince,  rather  bold  himself  and  tolerant  of  heathen.  Fray 
Juan  Perez  even  intimated  a  doubt  if  God  wanted 
the  Inquisition.  "  But  that's  going  rather  far !  "  he  said 
hastily  and  sat  drumming  the  table  and  pursing  his  lips. 
Presently  he  brought  out,  "  But  you  know  I  can't  do  any 
thing!"" 

I  did  know  it.  What  could  he  do?  I  suppose  I  had 
had  a  half-hope  of  something.  I  knew  not  what.  Without 
a  hope  I  would  not  have  come  to  La  Rabida.  But  it  was 
maimed  from  the  first,  and  now  it  died.  I  made  a  gesture 
of  relinquishment.  "  No,  I  suppose  you  cannot  —  " 

He  said  after  a  moment  that  he  was  glad  to  see  that  I 
had  let  my  beard  grow  and  was  very  plainly  dressed,  though 
I  had  never  been  elaborate  there,  and  especially  was  he  glad 
that  I  was  come  to  Palos  not  as  Jayme  de  Marchena,  but 
under  a  plain  and  simple  .name,  Juan  Lepe,  to  wit.  His  ad 
vice  was  to  flee  from  the  wrath  to  come.  He  would  not  say 
flee  from  the  Holy  Office  —  that  would  be  heinous !  —  but 
he  would  say  absent  myself,  abscond,  be  banished,  Jayme 
de  Marchena  by  Jayme  de  Marchena.  There  were  barques 
in  Palos  and  rude  seamen  who  asked  no  question  when 
gold  just  enough,  and  never  more  than  enough,  was  shown. 
He  hesitated  a  moment  and  then  asked  if  I  had  funds.  If 
not  — 

I  thanked  him  and  said  that  I  had  made  provision. 

[4] 


1490 


"Then,"  said  he,  "go  to  Barbary,  Don  Jayme!  An  in 
telligent  and  prudent  man  may  prosper  at  Ercilla  or  at  Fez. 
If  you  must  study,  study  there/' 

"  You  also  study,"  I  said. 

"  In  fair  trodden  highways  —  never  in  thick  forest  and 
mere  fog ! "  he  answered.  "  Now  if  you  were  like  one  who 
has  been  here  and  is  now  before  Granada,  at  Santa  Fe,  sent 
for  thither  by  the  Queen !  That  one  hath  indeed  studied  to 
benefit  Spain  —  Spain,  Christendom,  and  the  world !  " 

I  asked  who  was  that  great  one,  but  before  he  could  tell 
me  came  interruption.  A  visitor  entered,  a  strong-lipped, 
bold-eyed  man  named  Martin  Pinzon.  I  was  to  meet  him 
again  and  often,  but  at  this  time  I  did  not  know  that.  Fray 
Juan  Perez  evidently  desiring  that  I  should  go,  I  thought 
it  right  to  oblige  him  who  would  have  done  me  kindness 
had  he  known  how.  I  went  without  intimate  word  of  part 
ing  and  after  only  a  casual  stare  from  Martin  Pinzon. 

But  without,  my  kinsman  came  after  me.  "  I  want  to 
say,  Don  Jayme,  that  if  I  am  asked  for  testimony  I  shall 
hold  to  it  that  you  are  as  good  Christian  as  any  —  " 

It  was  kinsman's  part  and  all  that  truly  I  could  have 
hoped  for,  and  I  told  him  so.  About  us  was  quiet,  vacant 
cloister,  and  we  parted  more  warmly  than  we  had  done 
within. 

The  white  convent  of  La  Rabida  is  set  on  a  headland 
among  vineyards  and  pine  trees.  It  regards  the  ocean  and, 
afar,  the  mountains  of  Portugal,  and  below  it  runs  a  small 
river,  going  out  to  sea  through  sands  with  the  Tinto  and  the 
Odiel.  Again  the  day  was  gray  and  the  pine  trees  sighing. 
The  porter  let  me  out  at  gate. 

I  walked  back  toward  Palos  through  the  sandy  ways.  I 
did  not  wish  to  go  to  Africa. 

It  is  my  belief  that  that  larger  Self  whom  they  will  call 
protecting  Saint  or  heavenly  Guardian  takes  hand  in  affairs 
of  tener  than  we  think !  Leaving  the  Palos  road,  I  went  to 
the  sea  as  I  had  done  yesterday  and  again  sat  under  heaped 
sand  with  about  me  a  sere  grass  through  which  the  wind 

[5] 


whined.  At  first  it  whined  and  then  it  sang  in  a  thin,  out 
landish  voice.  Sitting  thus,  I  might  have  looked  toward 
Africa,  but  I  knew  now  that  I  was  not  going  to  Africa. 
Often,  perhaps,  in  the  unremembered  past  I  had  been  in 
Africa;  often,  doubtless,  in  ages  to  come  its  soil  would  be 
under  my  foot,  but  now  I  was  not  going  there!  To-day  I 
looked  westward  over  River-Ocean,  unknown  to  our  fathers 
and  unknown  to  ourselves.  It  was  unknown  as  the  future 
of  the  world. 

Ocean  piled  before  me.  From  where  I  lay  it  seemed  to 
run  uphill  to  one  pale  line,  nor  blue  nor  white,  set  beneath 
the  solid  gray.  Over  that  hilltop,  what?  Only  other  hills 
and  plains,  water,  endlessly  water,  until  the  waves,  so  much 
mightier  than  waves  of  that  blue  sea  we  knew  best,  should 
beat  at  last  against  Asia  shore!  So  high,  so  deep,  so  vast, 
so  real,  yet  so  empty-seeming  save  for  strange  dangers !  No 
sails  over  the  hilltop;  no  sails  in  all  that  Vast  save  close  at 
hand  where  mariners  held  to  the  skirts  of  Mother  Europe. 
Ocean  vast,  Ocean  black,  Ocean  unknown.  Yet  there,  too, 
life  and  the  knowing  of  life  ran  somehow  continuous. 

It  wiled  me  from  my  smaller  self.  How  had  we  all 
suffered,  we  the  whole  earth !  But  we  were  moving,  we  the 
world  with  none  left  out,  moving  toward  That  which  held 
worlds,  which  was  conscious  above  worlds.  Long  the 
journey,  long  the  adventure,  but  it  was  not  worth  while  fear 
ing,  it  was  not  worth  while  whining!  I  was  not  alone 
Jayme  de  Marchena,  nor  Juan  Lepe,  nor  this  name  nor  that 
nor  the  other. 

There  was  now  a  great  space  of  quiet  in  my  mind.  Sud 
denly  formed  there  the  face  and  figure  of  Don  Enrique  de 
Cerda  whose  life  I  had  had  the  good  hap  to  save.  He  was 
far  away  with  the  Queen  and  King  who  beleaguered  Gra 
nada.  I  had  not  seen  him  for  ten  years.  A  moment  before 
he  had  rested  among  the  host  of  figures  in  the  unevenly 
lighted  land  of  memory.  Now  he  stood  forth  plainly  and 
seemed  to  smile. 

I  took  the  leading.    With  the  inner  eye  I  have  seen  lines 

[6] 


149Q 


of  light  like  subtle  shining  cords  running  between  persons. 
Such  a  thread  stretched  now  between  me  and  Enrique  de 
Cerda.  I  determined  to  make  my  way,  as  Juan  Lepe,  through 
the  mountains  and  over  the  plain  of  Granada  to  Santa  Fe. 


[7] 


CHAPTER  II 

SET  will  to  an  end  and  promptly  eyes  open  to  means! 
I  did  not  start  for  Granada  from  Palos  but  from 
Huelva,  and  I  quitted  Andalusia  as  a  porter  in  a  small 
merchant  train  carrying  goods  of  sorts  to  Zarafa  that  was  a 
mountain  town  taken  from  the  Moors  five  years  back.  I 
was  to  these  folk  Juan  Lepe,  a  strong,  middle-aged  man 
used  to  ships  but  now  for  some  reason  tired  of  them.  My 
merchants  had  only  eyes  for  the  safety  of  their  persons  and 
their  bales,  plunged  the  third  day  into  mountainous  wild 
country  echoing  and  ghastly  with  long-lasting  war.  Their 
servants  and  muleteers  walked  and  rode,  lamented  or  were 
gay,  raised  faction,  swore,  laughed,  traveled  grimly  or  in 
a  dull  melancholy  or  mirthfully ;  quarreled  and  made  peace, 
turn  by  turn,  day  by  day,  much  alike.  One  who  was  a 
bully  fixed  a  quarrel  upon  me  and  another  took  my  part. 
All  leaped  to  sides.  I  was  forgotten  in  the  midst  of  them; 
they  could  hardly  have  told  now  what  was  the  cause  of  bat 
tle.  A  young  merchant  rode  back  to  chide  and  settle  mat 
ters.  At  last  some  one  remembered  that  Diego  had  struck 
Juan  Lepe  who  had  flung  him  off.  Then  Tomaso  had 
sprung  in  and  struck  Diego.  Then  Miguel  — "  Let  Juan 
Lepe  alone !  "  said  my  merchant.  "  Fie !  a  poor  Palos  sea 
faring  child,  and  you  great  Huelva  men !  "  They  laughed  at 
that,  and  the  storm  vanished  as  it  had  come. 

I  liked  the  young  man. 

How  wild  and  without  law,  save  "  Hold  if  you  can ! " 
were  these  mountains!  "Hold  if  you  can  to  life  —  hold  if 
you  can  to  knowledge  —  hold  if  you  can  to  joy!"  Black 
cliff  overhung  black  glen  and  we  knew  there  were  dens  of 

[8] 


robbers.  Far  and  near  violence  falls  like  black  snow.  This 
merchant  band  gathered  to  sleep  under  oaks  with  a  great 
rock  at  our  back.  We  had  journeyers'  supper  and  fire,  for 
it  was  cold,  cold  in  these  heights.  A  little  wine  was  given 
and  men  fell  to  sleep  by  the  heaped  bales;  horses,  asses  and 
mules  being  fastened  close  under  the  crag.  Three  men 
watched,  to  be  relieved  in  middle  night  by  other  three  who 
now  slept.  A  muleteer  named  Rodrigo  and  Juan  Lepe  and 
the  young  merchant  took  the  first  turn.  The  first  two  sat  on 
one  side  of  the  fire  and  the  young  merchant  on  the  othe'r. 

The  muleteer  remained  sunken  in  a  great  cloak,  his  chin 
on  his  arms  folded  upon  his  knees,  and  what  he  saw  in  the 
land  within  I  cannot  tell.  But  the  young  merchant  was  of  a 
quick  disposition  and  presently  must  talk.  For  some  distance 
around  us  spread  bare  earth  set  only  with  shrubs  and  stones. 
Also  the  rising  moon  gave  light,  and  with  that  and  our  own 
strength  we  did  not  truly  look  for  any  attack.  We  sat  and 
talked  at  ease,  though  with  lowered  voices,  Rodrigo  some 
where  away  and  the  rest  of  the  picture  sleeping.  The  mer 
chant  asked  what  had  been  my  last  voyage. 

I  answered,  after  a  moment,  to  England. 

"  You  do  not  seem  to  me/'  he  said,  "  a  seaman.  But  I 
suppose  there  are  all  kinds  of  seamen." 

I  said  yes,  the  sea  was  wide. 

"England  now,  at  the  present  moment ?"  he  said,  and 
questioned  me  as  to  Bristol,  of  which  port  he  had  trader's 
knowledge.  I  answered  out  of  a  book  I  had  read.  It  was 
true  that,  living  once  by  the  sea,  I  knew  how  to  handle  a 
boat.  I  could  find  in  memory  sailors'  terms.  But  still  he 
said,  "  You  are  not  a  seaman  such  as  we  see  at  Palos  and 
San  Lucar." 

It  is  often  best  not  to  halt  denial.  Let  it  pass  by  and 
wander  among  the  wild  grasses! 

"  I  myself,"  he  said  presently,  "  have  gone  by  sea  to  Vigo 
and  to  Bordeaux."  He  warmed  his  hands  at  the  fire,  then 
clasped  them  about  his  knees  and  gazed  into  the  night. 
"What,  Juan  Lepe,  is  that  Ocean  we  look  upon  when  we 

[9] 


149Q 


look  west?  I  mean,  where  does  it  go?  What  does  it 
strike?" 

"  India,  belike.  And  Cathay.  To-day  all  men  believe 
the  earth  to  be  round." 

"  A  long  way  1 "  he  said.  "  O  Sancta  Maria !  All  that 
water ! " 

"  We  do  not  have  to  drink  it." 

He  laughed.  "  No !  Nor  sail  it.  But  after  I  had  been  on 
that  voyage  I  could  see  us  always  like  mice  running  close  to 
a*  wall,  forever  and  forever !  Juan  Lepe,  we  are  little  and 
timid !  " 

I  liked  his  spirit.  "  One  day  we  shall  be  lions  and  eagles 
and  bold  prophets !  Then  our  tongue  shall  taste  much  be 
side  India  and  Cathay !  " 

"  Well,  I  hope  it,"  he  said.  "  Mice  running  under  the 
headlands." 

He  fell  silent,  cherishing  his  knees  and  staring  into  the 
fire.  It  was  not  Juan  Lepe's  place  to  talk  when  master  mer 
chant  talked  not.  I,  too,  regarded  the  fire,  and  the  herded 
mountains  robed  in  night,  and  the  half-moon  like  a  sail  rising 
from  an  invisible  boat. 

The  night  went  peacefully  by.  It  was  followed  by  a 
hard  day's  travel  and  the  incident  of  the  road.  At  evening 
we  saw  the  walls  of  Zarafa  in  a  sunset  glory.  The  mer 
chants  and  their  train  passed  through  the  gate  and  found 
their  customary  inn.  With  others,  Juan  Lepe  worked  hard, 
unlading  and  storing.  All  done,  he  and  the  bully  slept  al 
most  in  each  other's  arms,  under  the  arches  of  the  court, 
dreamlessly. 

The  next  day  and  the  next  were  still  days  of  labor.  It 
was  not  until  the  third  that  Juan  Lepe  considered  that  he 
might  now  absent  himself  and  there  be  raised  no  hue  and 
cry  after  strong  shoulders.  He  had  earned  his  quittance, 
and  in  the  nighttime,  upon  his  hands  and  knees,  he  crept 
from  the  sleepers  in  the  court.  Just  before  dawn  the  inn 
gate  swung  open.  He  had  been  waiting  close  to  it,  and  he 
passed  out  noiselessly. 

[10] 


In  the  two  days,  carrying  goods  through  streets  to  mar 
ket  square  and  up  to  citadel  and  pausing  at  varying  levels 
for  breath  and  the  prospect,  I  had  learned  this  town  well 
enough.  I  knew  where  went  the  ascending  and  descending 
ways.  Now  almost  all  lay  asleep,  antique,  shaded,  Moorish, 
still,  under  the  stars.  The  soldiery  and  the  hidalgos,  their 
officers,  slept;  only  the  sentinels  waked  before  the  citadel 
entry  and  on  the  town  walls  and  by  the  three  gates.  The 
town  folk  slept,  all  but  the  sick  and  the  sorrowful  and  the 
careful  and  those  who  had  work  at  dawn.  Listen,  and  you 
might  hear  sound  like  the  first  moving  of  birds,  or  breath 
of  dawn  wind  coming  up  at  sea.  The  greater  part  now  of 
the  town  folk  were  Christian,  brought  in  since  the  five-year- 
gone  siege  that  still  resounded.  Moors  were  here,  but  they 
had  turned  Christian,  or  were  slaves,  or  both  slave  and 
Christian.  I  had  seen  monks  of  all  habits  and  heard  ring 
above  the  inn  the  bells  of  a  nunnery.  Now  again  they 
rang.  The  mosque  was  now  a  church.  It  rose  at  hand,  — 
white,  square,  domed.  I  went  by  a  ladder-like  lane  down 
toward  Zarafa  wall  and  the  Gate  of  the  Lion.  At  sunrise 
in  would  pour  peasants  from  the  vale  below,  bringing  vege 
tables  and  poultry,  and  mountaineers  with  quails  and  conies, 
and  others  with  divers  affairs.  Outgoing  would  be  those 
who  tilled  a  few  steep  gardens  beyond  the  wall,  messengers 
and  errand  folk,  soldiers  and  traders  for  the  army  before 
Granada. 

It  was  full  early  when  I  came  to  the  wall.  I  could  make 
out  the  heavy  and  tall  archway  of  the  gate,  but  as  yet  was 
no  throng  before  it.  I  waited ;  the  folk  began  to  gather,  the 
sun  came  up.  Zarafa  grew  rosy.  Now  was  clatter  enough, 
voices  of  men  and  brutes,  both  sides  the  gate.  The  gate 
opened.  Juan  Lepe  won  out  with  a  knot  of  brawny  folk 
going  to  the  mountain  pastures.  Well  forth,  he  looked  back 
and  saw  Zarafa  gleaming  rose  and  pearl  in  the  blink  of  the 
sun,  and  sent  youne  merchantward  a  wish  for  good.  Then 
he  took  the  eastward  way  down  the  mountain,  toward  lower 
mountains  and  at  last  the  Vega  of  Granada. 

[in 


CHAPTER  III 

THE  day  passed.  I  had  adventures  of  the  road,  but 
•none  of  consequence.  I  slept  well  among  the  rocks, 
waked,  ate  the  bit  of  bread  I  had  with  me,  and  fell 
again  to  walking. 

Mountains  were  now  withdrawing  to  the  distant  horizon 
where  they  stood  around,  a  mighty  and  beautiful  wall.  I 
was  coming  down  into  the  plain  of  Granada,  that  once  had 
been  a  garden.  Now,  north,  south,  east,  west,  it  lay  war- 
trampled.  Old  owners  were  dead,  men  and  women,  or  were 
mudexares,  vassals,  or  were  fled,  men  and  women,  all  who 
could  flee,  to  their  kindred  in  Africa.  Or  they  yet  cowered, 
men  and  women,  in  the  broken  garden,  awaiting  individual 
disaster.  The  Kingdom  of  Granada  had  sins,  and  the  King 
dom  of  Castile,  and  the  Kingdom  of  Leon.  The  Moor  was 
stained,  and  the  Spaniard,  the  Moslem  and  the  Christian 
and  the  Jew.  Who  had  stains  the  least  or  the  most  God 
knew  —  and  it  was  a  poor  inquiry.  Seek  the  virtues  and 
bind  them  with  love,  each  in  each ! 

If  the  mountain  road  had  been  largely  solitary,  it  was  not 
so  of  this  road.  There  were  folk  enough  in  the  wide  Vega 
of  Granada.  Clearly,  as  though  the  one  party  had  been 
dressed  in  black  and  the  other  in  red,  they  divided  into 
vanquished  and  victor.  Bit  by  bit,  now  through  years,  all 
these  towns  and  villages,  all  these  fertile  fields  and  bosky 
places,  rich  and  singing,  had  left  the  hand  of  the  Moor  for 
the  hand  of  the  Spaniard. 

In  all  this  part  of  his  old  kingdom  the  Moor  lay  low  in 

[12] 


defeat.  In  had  swarmed  the  Christian  and  with  the  Chris 
tian  the  Jew,  though  now  the  Jew  must  leave.  The  city 
of  Granada  was  not  yet  surrendered,  and  the  Queen  and 
King  held  all  soldiery  that  they  might  at  Santa  Fe,  built  as 
it  were  in  a  night  before  Granada  walls.  Yet  there  seemed 
at  large  bands  enough,  licentious  and  loud,  the  scum  of 
soldiery.  Ere  I  reached  the  village  that  I  now  saw  before 
me  I  had  met  two  such  bands,  I  wondered,  and  then  won 
dered  at  my  own  wonder. 

The  chief  house  of  the  village  was  become  an  inn.  Two 
long  tables  stood  in  the  patio  where  no  fountain  now  flowed 
nor  orange  trees  grew  nor  birds  sang  in  corners  nor  fine 
awning  kept  away  the  glare.  Twenty  of  these  wild  and 
base  fighting  men  crowded  one  table,  eating  and  drinking, 
clamorous  and  spouting  oaths.  At  the  other  table  sat  to 
gether  at  an  end  three  men  whom  by  a  number  of  tokens 
might  be  robbers  of  the  mountains.  They  sat  quiet,  indif 
ferent  to  the  noise,  talking  low  among  themselves  in  a 
tongue  of  their  own,  kin  enough  to  the  soldiery  not  to 
fear  them.  The  opposite  end  of  the  long  table  was  given  to 
a  group  to  which  I  now  joined  myself.  Here  sat  two  Fran 
ciscan  friars,  and  a  man  who  seemed  a  lawyer ;  and  one  who 
had  the  air  of  the  sea  and  turned  out  to  be  master  of  a 
Levantine ;  and  a  brisk,  talkative,  important  person,  a  Cata 
lan,  arid  as  it  presently  appeared  alcalde  once  of  a  so-so 
village;  and  a  young,  unhealthy-looking  man  in  black  with 
an  open  book  beside  him;  and  a  strange  fellow  whose 
Spanish  was  imperfect. 

I  sat  down  near  the  friars,  crossed  myself,  and  cut  a  piece 
of  bread  from  the  loaf  before  me.  The  innkeeper  and  his 
wife,  a  gaunt,  extraordinarily  tall  woman,  served,  running 
from  table  to  table.  The  place  was  all  heat  and  noise. 
Presently  the  soldiers,  ending  their  meal,  got  up  with  clamor 
and  surged  from  the  court  to  their  waiting  horses.  After 
them  ran  the  innkeeper,  appealing  for  pay.  Denials,  expos 
tulation,  anger  and  beseeching  reached  the  ears  of  the  patio, 
then  the  sound  of  horses  going  down  stony  ways.  "  O  God 

[13] 


of   the  poor !  "  cried   the  gaunt   woman.      "  How   are   we 
robbed ! " 

"  Why  are  they  not  before  Granada  ? "  demanded  the 
lawyer  and  alertly  provided  the  answer  to  his  own  question. 
"Take  locusts  and  give  them  leave  to  eat,  being  careful  to 
say,  '  This  fellow's  fields  only ! '  But  the  locusts  have  wings 
and  their  nature  is  to  eat !  " 

The  mountain  robbers,  if  robbers  they  were,  dined  quietly, 
the  gaunt  woman  promptly  and  painstakingly  serving  them. 
They  were  going  to  pay,  I  was  sure,  though  it  might  not  be 
this  noon. 

The  two  friars  seemed  quiet,  simple  men,  dining  as 
dumbly  as  if  they  sat  in  Saint  Francis's  refectory.  The 
sometime  alcalde  and  the  shipmaster  were  the  talkers,  the 
student  sitting  as  though  he  were  in  the  desert,  eating  bread 
and  cheese  and  onions  and  looking  on  his  book.  The  lawyer 
watched  all,  talked  to  make  them  talk,  then  came  in  and  set 
tled  matters.  The  alcalde  was  the  politician,  knowing  the 
affairs  of  the  world  and  speaking  familiarly  of  the  King 
and  the  Queen  and  the  Marquis  of  Cadiz. 

The  shipmaster  said,  "  This  time  last  year  I  was  in  Lon 
don,  and  I  saw  their  King.  His  name  is  Henry.  King 
Henry  the  Seventh,  and  a  good  carrier  of  his  kingship!  " 

"  That  for  him !  "  said  the  alcalde.  "  Let  him  stay  in  his 
foggy  island !  But  Spain  is  too  small  for  King  Ferdinand." 

"All  kings  find  their  lands  too  small/'  said  the  lawyer. 

The  shipmaster  spoke  again.  "  The  King  of  Portugal's 
ship  sails  ahead  of  ours  in  that  matter.  He's  stuck  his  banner 
in  the  new  islands,  Maderia  and  the  Hawk  Islands  and 
where  not !  I  was  talking  in  Cadiz  with  one  who  was  with 
Bartholomew  Diaz  when  he  turned  Africa  and  named  it 
Good  Hope.  Which  is  to  say,  King  John  has  Good  Hope  of 
seeing  Portugal  swell.  Portugal !  Well,  I  say,  '  Why  not 
Spain'?5' 

The  student  looked  up  from  his  book.  "  It  is  a  great 
Age !  "  he  said  and  returned  to  his  reading. 

When  we  had  finished  dinner,   we  paid  the  tall,  gaunt 

[14] 


woman  and  leaving  the  robbers,  if  robbers  they  were,  still 
at  table,  went  out  into  the  street.  Here  the  friars,  the  alcalde 
and  the  lawyer  moved  in  the  direction  of  the  small,  staring 
white  and  ruined  mosque  that  was  to  be  transformed  into 
the  church  of  San  Jago  the  Deliverer.  That  was  the  one 
thing  of  which  the  friars  had  spoken.  A  long  bench  ran  by 
inn  wall  and  here  the  shipmaster  took  his  seat  and  began  to 
discourse  with  those  already  there.  Book  under  arm,  the 
student  moved  dreamily  down  the  opposite  lane.  Juan 
Lepe  walked  away  alone. 

Through  the  remainder  of  this  day  he  had  now  company 
and  adventure  without,  now  solitude  and  adventure  with 
in.  That  night  he  spent  in  a  ruined  tower  where  young 
trees  grew  and  an  owl  was  his  comrade  and  he  read  the  face 
of  a  glorious  moon.  Dawn.  He  bathed  in  a  stream  that 
ran  by  the  mound  of  the  tower  and  ate  a  piece  of  bread  from 
his  wallet  and  took  the  road. 

The  sun  mounted  above  the  trees.  A  man  upon  a  mule 
came  up  behind  me  and  was  passing.  "  There  is  a  stone 
wedged  in  his  shoe,"  I  said.  The  rider  drew  rein  and  I 
lifted  the  creature's  foreleg  and  took  out  the  pebble.  The 
rider  made  search  for  a  bit  of  money.  I  said  that  the  deed 
was  short  and  easy  and  needed  no  payment,  whereupon  he 
put  up  the  coin  and  regarded  me  out  of  his  fine  blue  eyes. 
He  was  quite  fair,  a  young  man  still,  and  dressed  after  a 
manner  of  his  own  in  garments  not  at  all  new  but  with 
a  beauty  of  fashioning  and  putting  on.  He  and  his  mule 
looked  a  corner  out  of  a  great  painting.  And  I  had  no 
sooner  thought  that  than  he  said,  "  I  see  in  you,  friend,  a 
face  and  figure  for  my  '  Draught  of  Fishes/  And  by  Saint 
Christopher,  there  is  water  over  yonder  and  just  the  land 
scape  !  "  He  leaned  from  the  saddle  and  spoke  persuasively, 
"  Come  from  the  road  a  bit  down  to  the  water  and  let  me 
draw  you!  You  are  not  dressed  like  the  kin  of  Midas!  I 
will  give  you  the  price  of  dinner/'  As  he  talked  he  drew  out 
of  a  richly  worked  bag  a  book  of  paper  and  pencils. 

I  thought,  "  This  beard  and  the  clothes  of  Juan  Lepe.  He 

[IS] 


149Q 


can  hardly  make  it  so  that  any  may  recognize."  It  was  rest 
ing  time  and  the  man  attracted.  I  agreed,  if  he  would  take 
no  more  than  an  hour. 

"  The  drawing,  no !  —  Bent  far  over,  gathering  the  net 
strongly  —  Andrew  or  Mark  perhaps,  since,  traditionally, 
John  must  have  youth." 

He  had  continued  to  study  me  all  this  time,  and  now  we 
left  the  road  and  moved  over  the  plain  to  the  stream  that 
here  widened  into  a  pool  fringed  with  rushes  and  a  few 
twisted  trees.  An  ancient,  half-sunken  boat  drowsing  under 
the  bank  he  hailed  again  in  the  name  of  Saint  Christopher. 
Dismounting,  he  fastened  his  mule  to  a  willow  and  pro 
ceeded  to  place  me,  then  himself  found  a  root  of  a  tree, 
and  taking  out  his  knife  fell  to  sharpening  pencil.  This  done, 
he  rested  book  against  knee  and  began  to  draw. 

Having  made  his  figure  in  one  posture  he  rose  and  showed 
me  another  and  drew  his  fisherman  so.  Then  he  demon 
strated  a  third  way  and  drew  again.  Now  he  was  silent, 
working  hard,  and  now  he  dropped  his  hand,  threw  back 
his  head  and  talked.  He  himself  made  a  picture,  paly  gold 
of  locks,  subtle  and  quick  of  face,  plastered  against  a  blue 
shield  with  a  willow  wreath  going  around. 

I  stood  so  or  so,  drawing  hard  upon  the  net  with  the 
fishes.  Then  at  his  command  I  approached  more  nearly,  and 
he  drew  full  face  and  three-quarter  and  profile.  It  was  be 
tween  these  accomplishings  that  he  talked  more  intimately. 

"  Seamen  go  to  Italy,"  he  said.  "  Were  you  ever  in 
Milan?  But  that  is  inland." 

I  answered  that  I  had  been  from  Genoa  to  Milan. 

"  It  is  not  likely  that  you  saw  a  great  painter  there  — 
Messer  Leonardo  ?  " 

It  happened  that  I  had  done  this,  and  moreover  had  seen 
him  at  work  and  heard  him  put  right  thought  into  most  right 
words.  I  was  so  tired  of  lying  that  after  a  moment  I  said 
that  I  had  seen  and  heard  Messer  Leonardo. 

"  Did  you  see  the  statue?  " 

"  The  first  time  I  saw  him  he  was  at  work  upon  it.  The 

[16] 


{4QQ 


next  time  he  was  painting  in  the  church  of  Santa  Maria. 
The  third  time  he  sat  in  a  garden,  sipped  wine  and  talked." 

"  I  hold  you,"  he  said,  "to  be  a  fortunate  fisherman ! 
Just  as  this  fisher  I  am  painting,  and  whether  it  is  Andrew 
or  Mark,  I  do  not  yet  know,  was  a  most  fortunate  fisher 
man  ! "  He  ended  meditatively,  "  Though  whoever  it  is, 
probably  he  was  crucified  or  beheaded  or  burned/' 

I  felt  a  certain  shiver  of  premonition.  The  day  that  had 
been  warm  and  bright  turned  in  a  flash  ashy  and  chill.  Then 
it  swung  back  to  its  first  fair  seeming,  or  not  to  its  first,  but 
to  a  deeper,  brighter  yet.  The  Fisherman  by  Galilee  was 
fortunate.  Whoever  perceived  truth  and  beauty  was  for 
tunate,  fortunate  now  and  forever ! 

We  came  back  to  Messer  Leonardo.  "  I  spent  six  months 
at  the  court  in  Milan,"  said  the  fair  man.  "  I  painted  the 
Duke  and  the  Duchess  and  two  great  courtiers.  Messer 
Leonardo  was  away.  He  returned,  and  I  visited  him  and 
found  a  master.  Since  that  time  I  study  light  and  shadow 
and  small  things  and  seek  out  inner  action." 

He  worked  in  silence,  then  again  began  to  speak  of  paint 
ers,  Italian  and  Spanish.  He  asked  me  if  I  had  seen  such 
and  such  pictures  in  Seville. 

"  Yes.    They  are  good." 

"  Do  you  know  Monsalvat  ?  " 

I  said  that  I  had  climbed  there  one  day.  "  I  dream  a  paint 
ing  !  "  he  said,  "  The  Quest  of  the  Grail.  Now  I  see  it  run 
ning  over  the  four  walls  of  a  church,  and  now  I  see  it  all 
packed  into  one  man  who  rides.  Then  again  it  has  seemed 
to  me  truer  to  have  it  in  a  man  and  woman  who  walk,  or 
perhaps  even  are  seated.  What  do  you  think  ?  " 

I  was  thinking  of  Isabel  who  died  in  my  arms  twenty 
years  ago.  "  I  would  have  it  man  and  woman,"  I  said. 
"  Unless,  like  Messer  Leonardo,  you  can  put  both  in  one." 

He  sat  still,  his  mind  working,  while  in  a  fair  inner  land 
Isabel  and  I  moved  together;  then  in  a  meditative  quiet  he 
finished  his  drawing.  He  himself  was  admirable,  fine  gold 
and  bronze,  sapphire-eyed,  with  a  face  where  streams  of 

[17] 


149Q 


visions  moved  the  muscles,  and  all  against  the  blue  and  the 
willow  tree. 

At  last  he  put  away  pencil,  and  at  his  gesture  I  came  from 
the  boat  and  the  reeds.  I  looked  at  what  he  had  drawn,  and 
then  he  shut  book  and,  the  mule  following  us,  we  moved 
back  to  the  road. 

"  My  dear  fisherman,"  he  said,  "  you  are  trudging  afoot 
and  your  dress  exhibits  poverty.  Painters  may  paint  Jove 
descending  in  showers  of  golden  pesos  and  yet  have  few 
pesos  in  purse.  I  have  at  present  ten.  I  should  like  to 
share  them  with  you  who  have  done  me  various  good  turns 
to-day." 

I  said  that  he  was  generous  but  that  he  had  done  me 
good  turns.  Moreover  I  was  not  utterly  without  coin,  and 
certainly  the  hour  had  paid  for  itself.  So  he  mounted  his 
mule  and  wished  me  good  fortune,  and  I  wished  him  good 
fortune. 

"  Are  you  going  to  Santa  Fe  ?  " 

"  Yes.     I  have  a  friend  in  the  camp/' 

"  I  go  there  to  paint  her  Highness  the  Queen  for  his 
Highness  the  King.  Perhaps  we  shall  meet  again.  I  am 
Manuel  Rodriguez." 

"  I  guessed  that,"  I  answered,  "  an  hour  ago !  Be  so 
good,  great  painter,  as  not  to  remember  me.  It  will  serve  me 
better." 

The  light  played  again  over  his  face.  "  The  Disguised 
Hidalgo.  Excellent  pictures  come  to  me  like  that,  in  a  great 
warm  light,  and  excellent  names  for  pictures.  —  Very  good. 
In  a  way,  so  to  speak,  I  shall  completely  forget  you ! " 

Two  on  horseback,  a  churchman  and  a  knight,  with  serv 
ants  following,  came  around  a  bend  of  the  dusty  road  and 
recognizing  Manuel  Rodriguez,  called  to  him  by  name. 
Away  he  rode  upon  his  mule,  keeping  company  with  them. 
The  dozen  in  their  train  followed,  raising  as  they  went  by 
such  a  dust  cloud  that  presently  all  became  like  figures  upon 
worn  arras.  They  rode  toward  Santa  Fe,  and  I  followed  on 
foot. 

[18] 


CHAPTER  IV 

SANTA  Ffi  rose  before  me,  a  camp  in  wood,  plaster  and 
stone,  a  camp  with  a  palace,  a  camp  with  churches. 
Built  of  a  piece  where  no  town  had  stood,  built  that 
Majesty  and  its  Court  and  its  Army  might  have  roofs  and 
walls,  not  tents,  for  so  long  a  siege,  it  covered  the  plain,  a 
city  raised  in  a  night.  The  siege  had  been  long  as  the  war 
had  been  long.  Hidalgo  Spain  and  simple  Spain  were  gath 
ered  here  in  great  squares  and  ribbons  of  valor,  ambition, 
emulation,  desire  of  excitement  and  of  livelihood,  and  like 
wise,  I  say  it,  in  pieces  not  small,  herded  and  brought  here 
without  any  "  I  say  yes  "  of  their  own,  and  to  their  misery. 
There  held  full  flavor  of  crusade,  as  all  along  the  war  had 
been  preached  as  a  crusade.  Holy  Church  had  here  her 
own  grandees,  cavaliers  and  footmen.  They  wore  cope  and 
they  wore  cowl,  and  on  occasion  many  endued  themselves 
with  armor  and  hacked  and  hewed  with  an  earthly  sword. 
At  times  there  seemed  as  many  friars  and  priests  as  soldiers. 
Out  and  in  went  a  great  Queen  and  King.  Their  court  was 
here.  The  churchmen  pressed  around  the  Queen.  Famous 
leaders  put  on  or  took  off  armor  in  Santa  Fe, —  the 
Marquis  of  Cadiz  and  many  others  only  less  than  he  in  esti 
mation,  and  one  Don  Gonsalvo  de  Cordova,  whose  greater 
fame  was  yet  to  come.  Military  and  shining  youth  came  to 
train  and  fight  under  these.  Old  captains-at-arms,  gaunt  and 
scarred,  made  their  way  thither  from  afar.  All  were  not 
Spaniard ;  many  a  soldier  out  at  fortune  or  wishful  of  fame 
came  from  France  and  Italy,  even  from  England  and  Ger 
many.  Women  were  in  Santa  Fe.  The  Queen  had  her 

[19] 


ladies.  Wives,  sisters  and  daughters  of  hidalgos  came  to 
visit,  and  the  common  soldiery  had  their  mates.  Nor  did 
there  lack  courtesans. 

Petty  merchants  thronged  the  place.  All  manner  of  rich 
goods  were  bought  by  the  flushed  soldiers,  the  high  and  the 
low.  And  there  dwelled  here  a  host  of  those  who  sold  en 
tertainment, —  mummers  and  jugglers  and  singers,  dwarfs 
and  giants.  Dice  rattled,  now  there  were  castanets  and 
dancing,  and  now  church  bells  seemed  to  rock  the  place. 
Wine  flowed. 

Out  of  the  plain  a  league  and  more  away  sprang  the  two 
hills  of  Granada,  and  pricked  against  the  sky,  her  walls 
and  thousand  towers  and  noble  gates.  Between  them  and 
Santa  Fe  stretched  open  and  ruined  ground,  and  here  for 
many  a  day  had  shocked  together  the  Spaniard  and  the 
Moor.  But  now  there  was  no  longer  battle.  Granada  had 
asked  and  been  granted  seventy  days  in  which  to  envisage 
and  accept  her  fate.  These  were  near  ing  the  end.  Lost 
and  beaten,  haggard  with  woe  and  hunger  and  pestilence, 
the  city  stood  over  against  us,  above  the  naked  plain,  all 
her  outer  gardens  stripped  away,  bare  light  striking  the  red 
Alhambra  and  the  Citadel.  When  the  wind  swept  over  her 
and  on  to  Santa  Fe  it  seemed  to  bring  a  sound  of  wailing 
and  the  faint  and  terrible  odor  of  a  long  besieged  place. 

I  came  at  eve  into  Santa  Fe,  found  at  last  an  inn  of  the 
poorer  sort,  ate  scant  supper  and  went  to  bed.  Dawn  came 
with  a  great  ringing  of  church  bells. 

Out  of  the  inn,  in  the.  throbbing  street,  I  began  my  search 
for  Don  Enrique  de  Cerda.  One  told  me  one  thing  and  one 
another,  but  at  last  I  got  true  direction.  At  noon  I  found 
him  in  a  goodly  room  where  he  made  recovery  from  wounds. 
Now  he  walked  and  now  he  sat,  his  arm  in  a  sling  and  a 
bandage  like  a  turban  around  his  head.  A  page  took  him 
the  word  I  gave.  "  Juan  Lepe.  From  the  hermitage  in  the 
oak  wood."  It  sufficed.  When  I  entered  he  gazed,  then 
coming  to  me,  put  his  unbound  hand  over  mine.  "  Why," 
he  asked,  "  '  Juan  Lepe '  ?" 

[20] 


1-492 


I  glanced  toward  the  page  and  he  dismissed  him,  where 
upon  I  explained  the  circumstances. 

We  sat  by  the  window,  and  again  rose  for  us  the  hermit 
age  in  the  oak  wood  at  foot  of  a  mountain,  and  the  small 
tower  that  slew  in  ugly  fashion.  Again  we  were  young 
men,  together  in  strange  dangers,  learning  there  each  other's 
mettle.  He  had  not  at  all  forgotten. 

He  offered  to  go  to  Seville,  as  soon  as  Granada  should 
fall,  and  find  and  fight  Don  Pedro.  I  shook  my  head.  "  I 
could  have  done  that  had  I  seen  it  as  the  way." 

He  agreed  that  Don  Pedro  was  now  the  minor  peril.  "  It 
is  evil  to  chain  thought!  In  our  day  we  think  boldly  of  a 
number  of  things.  But  touch  King  or  touch  Church  —  the 
cord  is  around  your  neck ! " 

I  said  that  I  supposed  I  had  been  rash. 

He  nodded.  "  Yes.  You  were  rash  that  day  in  the  oak 
wood.  Less  rash,  and  my  bones  would  be  lying  there,  under 
tree."  He  rose  and  walked  the  room,  then  came  to  me  and 
put  his  unhurt  arm  about  my  shoulders.  "  Don  Jayme,  we 
swore  that  day  comrade  love  and  service  —  and  that  day  is 
now;  twilight  has  never  come  to  it,  the  leaves  of  the  oak 
wood  have  never  fallen!  The  Holy  Office  shall  not  have 
thee!" 

"Don  Enrique  —  " 

We  sat  down  and  drank  each  a  little  wine,  and  fell  to 
ways  and  means. 

I  rested  Juan  Lepe  in  the  household  of  Don  Enrique  de 
Cerda,  one  figure  among  many,  involved  in  the  swarm  of 
fighting  and  serving  men.  There  was  a  squire  who  had 
served  him  long.  To  this  man,  Diego  Lopez,  I  was  com 
mitted,  with  enough  told  to  enlist  his  intelligence.  He  man 
aged  for  me  in  the  intricate  life  of  the  place  with  a  skill  to 
make  god  Mercury  applaud.  Don  Enrique  and  I  were  rarely 
together,  rarely  were  seen  by  men  to  speak  one  to  the  other. 
But  in  the  inner  world  we  were  together. 

Days  passed.  We  found  nothing  yet  to  do  while  all 
listening  and  doing  at  Santa  Fe  were  bound  up  in  the,  crum- 

[21] 


bling  of  Granada  into  Spanish  hands.  It  seemed  best  to  wait, 
watching  chances. 

Meantime  the  show  glittered,  and  man's  strong  stomach 
cried  "  Life !  More  life !  "  It  glittered  at  Santa  Fe  before 
Granada,  and  it  was  a  dying  ember  in  Granada  before  Santa 
Fe.  The  one  glittered  and  triumphed  because  the  other 
glittered  and  triumphed  not.  And  who  above  held  the  bal 
ances  even  and  neither  sorrowed  nor  was  feverishly  elated 
but  went  his  own  way  could  only  be  seen  from  the  Vega 
like  a  dream  or  a  line  from  a  poet. 

For  the  most  part  the  nobles  and  cavaliers  in  Santa  Fe 
spent  as  though  hard  gold  were  spiritual  gold  to  be  gathered 
endlessly.  One  might  say,  "  They  go  into  a  garden  and 
shake  tree  each  morning,  which  tree  puts  forth  again  in  the 
night."  None  seemed  to  see  as  on  a  map  laid  down  Spain 
and  the  broken  peasant  and  the  digger  of  the  gold.  None 
seemed  to  feel  that  toil  which  or  soon  or  late  they  must 
recognize  for  their  own  toil.  Toil  in  Spain,  toil  in  other 
and  far  lands  whence  came  their  rich  things,  toil  in  Europe, 
Arabia  and  India!  Apparel  at  Santa  Fe  was  a  thing  to 
marvel  at.  The  steed  no  less  than  his  rider  went  gorgeous. 
The  King  and  Queen,  it  was  said,  did  not  like  this  peacock 
ing,  but  might  not  help  it. 

They  themselves  were  pouring  gold  into  the  lap  of  the 
Church.  It  was  a  capacious  lap. 

Wars  were  general  enough,  God  knew!  But  not  every 
year  could  one  find  a  camp  where  the  friar  was  as  common 
as  the  archer  or  the  pikeman,  and  the  prelate  as  the  plumed 
chieftain. 

Santa  Fe  was  court  no  less  than  camp,  court  almost  as 
though  it  were  Cordova.  This  Queen  and  King  at  least  did 
not  live  at  ease  in  palaces  while  others  fought  their  wars. 
North,  south,  east  and  west,  through  the  ten  years,  they 
had  been  the  moving  springs.  It  was  an  able  King  and 
Queen,  a  politic  King  and  a  sincere  and  godly  Queen,  even 
a  loving  Queen.  If  only  —  if  only  — 

I  had  been  a  week  and  more  in  Santa  Fe  when  King  Boab- 

[22] 


dil  surrendered  Granada.  He  left  forever  the  Alhambra. 
Granada  gates  opened ;  he  rode  out  with  a  few  of  his  emirs 
and  servants  to  meet  King  Ferdinand  and  Queen  Isabella. 
The  day  shone  bright.  Spain  towered,  a  figure  dressed  in 
gold  and  red. 

Santa  Fe  poured  out  to  view  the  spectacle,  and  with  the 
rest  went  Diego  Lopez  and  Juan  Lepe.  So  great  festival, 
so  vivid  the  color,  so  echoing  the  sound,  so  stately  and  various 
the  movement !  Looking  at  the  great  strength  massing  there 
on  the  plain  I  said  aloud,  as  I  thought,  to  Diego  Lopez, 
"  Now  they  might  do  some  worthy  great  thing !  " 

The  squire  not  answering,  I  became  aware  that  a  swirl  in 
the  throng  had  pushed  him  from  me.  Still  there  came  an 
answer  in  a  deep  and  peculiarly  thrilling  voice.  "  That  is 
a  true  saying  and  a  good  augury !  " 

I  learn  much  by  voices  and  before  I  turned  I  knew  that 
this  was  an  enthusiast's  voice,  but  not  an  enthusiast  without 
knowledge.  Whoever  spoke  was  strong  enough,  real  enough. 
I  liked  the  voice  and  felt  a  certain  inner  movement  of  friend 
ship.  Some  shift  among  the  great  actors,  some  parting  of 
banners,  kept  us  suspended  and  staring  for  a  moment,  then 
the  view  closed  against  us  who  could  only  behold  by  snatches. 
Freed,  I  turned  to  see  who  had  spoken  and  found  a  tall, 
strongly  made,  white-haired  man.  The  silver  hair  was  too 
soon;  he  could  hardly  have  been  ten  years  my  elder.  He 
had  a  long,  fair  face  that  might  once  have  been  tanned  and 
hardened  by  great  exposure.  His  skin  had  that  look,  but 
now  the  bronze  was  faded,  and  you  could  see  that  he  had 
been  born  very  fair  in  tint.  Across  the  high  nose  and 
cheek  bones  went  a  powdering  of  freckles.  His  eyes  were 
bluish-gray  and  I  saw  at  once  that  he  habitually  looked  at 
things  afar  off. 

He  was  rather  poorly  dressed  and  pushed  about  as  I  was. 
When  the  surge  again  gave  him  footing,  he  spoke  beside  me. 
" '  Now  that  this  is  over,  they  might  do  some  great,  worthy 
thing ! '  Very  true,  friend,  they  might !  I  take  your  words 
for  good  omen."  The  throng  shot  out  an  arm  and  we  were 

[23] 


parted.  The  same  action  brought  back  to  me  Diego  Lopez. 
Speaking  to  him  later  of  the  tall  man,  he  said  that  he  had 
noticed  him,  and  that  it  was  the  Italian  who  would  go  to 
India  by  way  of  Ocean-Sea. 

King  Boabdil  gave  up  his  city  to  King  Ferdinand  and 
Queen  Isabella.  Over  Granada,  high  against  the  bright  sky, 
rose  and  floated  the  banners.  Cannon,  the  big  lombards, 
roared.  Mars'  music  crashed  out,  then  the  trumpets  ceased 
their  crying  and  instead  spread  a  mighty  chanting.  Te  Deum 
Laudamus! 

At  last  the  massed  brightness  out  in  the  plain  quivered 
and  parted.  The  pageantry  broke,  wide  curving  and  return 
ing  with  some  freedom  but  with  order  too,  into  Santa  Fe. 
I  saw  the  Queen  and  the  King  with  their  children,  and  the 
Grand  Cardinal,  and  prelates  and  prelates,  and  the  Marquis 
of  Cadiz,  and  many  a  grandee  and  famous  knight.  Don 
Enrique  de  Cerda  and  his  troop  came  by. 

Diego  Lopez  and  I  returned  to  the  town.  I  saw  again 
the  man  who  would  find  India  by  a  way  unpassed,  as  far  as 
one  knew,  since  the  world  began !  He  was  entering  a  house 
with  a  friar  beside  him.  Something  came  into  my  mind  of 
the  convent  of  La  Rabida. 


[24] 


CHAPTER  V 

SOME  days  went  by.  The  King  and  the  Queen  with  the 
court  and  a  great  train  of  prelates  and  grandees  and 
knights  rode  in  state  through  Granada.  Don  Enrique, 
returning,  told  me  of  it  in  his  room  at  night,  of  the  Christian 
service  in  the  mosque  and  the  throning  in  the  Alhambra. 

"  Now,"  he  said,  "  after  great  affairs,  our  affairs !  I  have 
had  speech  with  the  Marchioness  of  Moya." 

"That  is  the  Queen's  friend?" 

"Yes.  Dona  Beatrix  de  Boabdilla.  We  stood  together 
by  a  fountain,  and  when  she  said,  '  What  can  I  do  for  you  ?  ' 
I  answered,  '  There  is  something/  Then  while  all  went  in 
pageantry  before  us,  I  told  her  of  the  hermitage  in  the  oak 
wood  and  of  the  unhappy  small  tower,  and  of  you  and  me 
and  those  others,  and  what  was  done  that  day.  Don  Jayme, 
I  told  it  like  a  minstrel  who  believes  what  he  sings!  And 
then  I  spoke  of  to-day.  She  is  no  puny  soul,  nor  is  she 
in  priest's  grip.  She  acts  from  her  own  vision,  not  from 
that  of  another.  The  Queen  is  no  weak  soul  either !  She 
also  has  vision,  but  too  often  she  lets  the  churchmen  take 
her  vision  from  her.  But  Dona  Beatrix  is  stronger  there. 
Well,  she  promises  help  if  we  can  show  her  how  to  help." 

I  said,  "  I  have  been  thinking.  It  seems  to  me  that  it 
was  wrong  to  come  here  and  put  my  weight  upon  you." 

"  No !  "  he  answered.  "  Did  we  not  swear  then,  when 
we  were  young  men?  And  we  needed  no  oaths  neither. 
Let  such  thoughts  be. —  I  am  going  to  the  palace  to-morrow, 
and  you  with  me.  The  King  and  the  Queen  ride  with  a 
great  train  into  Granada.  But  Dona  Beatrix  will  excuse 

[25] 


herself  from  going.  The  palace  will  be  almost  empty,  and 
we  shall  find  her  in  the  little  gallery  above  the  Queen's 
garden/' 

The  next  morning  we  went  there,  Don  Enrique  de  Cerda 
and  his  squire,  Juan  Lepe.  The  palace  rose  great  and  goodly 
enough,  with  the  church  at  hand.  All  had  been  built  as 
by  magic,  silken  pavilions  flying  away  and  stout  houses  set 
tling  themselves  down.  Sunk  among  the  walls  had  been 
managed  a  small  garden  for  the  Queen  and  her  ladies.  A 
narrow,  latticed  and  roofed  gallery  built  without  the  Queen's 
rooms  looked  down  upon  orange  and  myrtle  trees  and  a 
fountain.  Here  we  found  the  Marchioness  de  Moya,  with 
her  two  waiting  damsels  whom  she  set  by  the  gallery  door. 
Don  Enrique  kissed  her  hand  and  then  motioned  to  me. 

Don  Jayme  de  Marchena  made  his  reverence. 

She  was  a  strong  woman  who  would  go  directly  to  the 
heart  of  things.  Always  she  would  learn  from  the  man 
himself.  She  asked  me  this  and  I  answered;  that  and  the 
other  and  I  answered.  "  Don  Pedro  —  ? "  I  told  the 
enmity  there  and  the  reason  for  it.  "  The  Jewish  rabbi, 
my  great-grandfather  ?  "  I  avowed  it,  but  by  three  Castilian 
and  Christian  great-grandfathers  could  not  be  counted  as 
Jew!  Practise  Judaism?  No.  My  grandmother  Judith 
had  been  Christian. 

She  drove  to  the  heart  of  it.  "  You  yourself  are  Christ 
ian.  What  do  you  mean  by  that  ?  What  the  Queen  means  ? 
What  the  Grand  Cardinal  and  the  Archbishop  of  Granada 
means  ?  What  the  Holy  Office  means  ?  " 

I  kept  silence  for  a  moment,  then  I  told  her  as  well  as  I 
might,  without  fever  and  without  melancholy,  what  I  had 
written  and  of  the  Dominican. 

"  You  have  been,"  she  said,  "  an  imprudent  cavalier." 

The  fountain  flashed  below  us,  a  gray  dove  flew  over 
garden.  I  said,  "  There  is  a  text,  '  With  all  thy  getting, 
get  understanding/  There  is  another,  '  For  God  so  loved 
the  world '  —  that  He  wished  to  impart  understanding." 

She  sat  quiet,  seeming  to  listen  to  the  fountain.  Then 

[26] 


she  said,  "  Are  you  ready  to  avow  when  they  ask  you  that 
in  every  particular  to  which  the  Grand  Inquisitor  may  point 
you  are  wrong,  and  that  all  that  Holy  Church  through  mouth 
of  Holy  Office  says  is  right?" 

I  said,  "  No,  Madam !  Present  Church  is  not  as  large  as 
Truth,  nor  as  fair  as  Beauty." 

"  You  may  think  that,  but  will  you  say  the  other  ?  " 

"  Say  that  church  or  kingdom  exactly  matches  Truth  and 
Beauty  ?  " 

"  That  is  what  I  am  sure  you  will  have  to  say." 

"Then,  no!" 

"  I  do  not  see,"  she  said,  "  that  I  can  do  anything  for 
you." 

There  was  a  chair  beside  her.  She  sat  down,  her  chin  on 
her  hand  and  her  eyes  lowered.  Silence  held  save  for  the 
fountain  plashing.  Don  Enrique  stood  by  the  railing,  and 
Jayme  de  Marchena  felt  his  concern.  But  he  himself  walked 
just  then  —  Don  Jayme  or  Juan  Lepe  —  into  long  patience, 
into  greater  steadfastness.  Into  the  inner  fields  came  trans- 
lucence,  gold  light ;  came  and  faded,  but  left  strength. 

Dona  Beatrix  raised  her  eyes  and  let  them  dwell  upon 
me.  "  Spain  breeds  bold  knights/'  she  said,  "  but  not  so 
many  after  all  who  are  bold  within !  Not  so  many,  I  think, 
as  are  found  in  Italy  or  in  France."  She  paused  a  moment, 
looking  at  the  sky  above  the  roofs,  then  came  back  to  me. 
"  It  is  hopeless,  and  you  must  see  it,  to  talk  in  those  terms 
to  the  only  powers  that  can  lead  the  Holy  Office  to  forget 
that  you  live!  It  is  hopeless  to  talk  to  the  Queen,  telling 
her  that.  She  would  hold  that  she  had  entertained  heresy, 
and  her  imagination  would  not  let  her  alone.  I  see  naught 
in  this  world  for  you  to  do  but  to  go  out  of  it  into  another ! 
There  are  other  lands  —  " 

A  damsel  hurried  to  her  from  the  door.  "  There's  a  stir 
below,  Madam!  Something  has  brought  the  Queen  home 
earlier  than  we  thought  —  " 

The  Marchioness  de  Moya  rose.  Don  Enrique  kissed  her 
hand,  and  Jayme  de  Marchena  kissed  it  and  thanked  her.  "  I 

[27] 


would  help  if  I  could !  "  she  said.  "  But  in  Spain  to-day 
it  is  deadly  dangerous  to  talk  or  write  as  though  there  were 
freedom!" 

She  passed  from  the  gallery,  Don  Enrique  and  I  follow 
ing.  We  came  upon  a  landing  with  a  great  stair  before  us. 
Quick  as  had  been  her  maidens,  they  were  not  quick  enough. 
Many  folk  were  coming  up  the  broad  steps.  Dona  Beatrix 
glanced,  then  opened  a  door  giving  into  a  great  room,  ap 
parently  empty.  She  pointed  to  an  opposite  door.  "  The 
little  stair !  Go  that  way !  "  Don  Enrique  nodded  com 
prehension.  We  were  in  the  room ;  the  door  closed. 

At  first  it  seemed  an  empty  great  chamber.  Then  from 
behind  a  square  of  stretched  cloth  came  a  man's  head,  fol 
lowed  by  the  figure  pertaining  to  it.  The  full  man  was  clad 
after  a  rich  fancy  and  he  held  in  his  hand  a  brush  and 
looked  at  us  at  first  dreamily  and  then  with  keenness. 

He  knew  me,  differently  arrayed  though  I  was,  and  looked 
from  me  to  Don  Enrique.  "  Master  Manuel  Rodriguez," 
said  the  latter,  "  I  would  stop  for  good  talk  and  to  admire 
the  Queen's  likeness,  but  duty  calls  me  out  of  palace! 
Adios !  "  He  made  toward  the  door  across  from  that  by 
which  we  had  entered.  The  painter  spoke  after  us.  "  That 
door  is  bolted,  Don  Enrique,  on  the  other  side.  I  do  not 
know  why!  It  is  not  usually  so." 

Don  Enrique,  turning,  hurried  to  the  first  door  and  very 
slightly  opened  it.  A  humming  entered  the  large,  quiet  room. 
He  closed  the  door.  "  The  Queen  is  coming  up  the  great 
stair.  The  Archbishop  of  Granada  is  with  her  and  a  whole 
train  beside !  "  He  spoke  to  the  painter.  "  I  have  no 
audience,  and  for  reasons  would  not  choose  this  moment  as 
one  in  which  to  encounter  the  least  disfavor !  I  will  stay  here 
before  your  picture  and  admire  until  landing  and  stairways 
are  bare." 

"  If  to  be  invisible  is  your  desire,"  answered  Manuel 
Rodriguez,  "  you  have  walked  into  trouble !  The  Queen  is 
coming  here." 

Don  Enrique  exclaimed.  Juan  Lepe  turned  eyes  to  the 

[28] 


painter.  The  blue  eyes  met  mine  —  there  rose  the  rushy 
pool,  there  dozed  the  broken  boat.  Manuel  Rodriguez  spoke 
in  his  voice  that  was  at  once  cool  and  fine  and  dry  and 
warm.  "  It  is  best  to  dare  thoroughly !  Perhaps  I  may 
help  you  —  as  thus!  Wishing  to  speak  with  Don  Enrique 
of  an  altar  painting  for  the  Church  of  Saint  Dominic,  I 
asked  him  here  and  he  came.  We  talked,  and  he  will  give 
the  picture.  Then,  hearing  the  Queen's  approach,  he  would 
instantly  have  been  gone,  but  alack,  the  small  door  is  barred ! 
— •  As  for  fisherman  yonder,  few  look  at  squire  when  knight 
is  in  presence !  " 

No  time  to  debate  his  offer,  which  indeed  was  both  wise 
and  kind !  Chamberlains  flung  open  the  door.  In  came  the 
Queen,  with  her  the  Princess  Juana  and  several  of  her 
ladies.  Beside  her  walked  Fernando  de  Talavera,  Her  High- 
ness's  confessor,  yesterday  Bishop  of  Avila  but  now  Arch 
bishop  of  Granada.  Behind  him  moved  two  lesser  eccle 
siastics,  and  with  these  Don  Alonzo  de  Quintanella,  Comp 
troller-General  of  Castile.  Others  followed,  nobles  and 
cavaliers,  two  soberly  clad  men  who  looked  like  secretaries, 
a  Franciscan  friar,  three  or  four  pages.  The  room  was 
large  and  had  a  table  covered  with  a  rich  cloth,  two  great 
chairs  and  a  few  lesser  ones. 

The  painter  and  Don  Enrique  bent  low  to  the  Majesty 
of  Castile.  In  the  background  Juan  Lepe  made  squire's 
obeisance.  I  was  bearded  and  my  face  stained  with  a 
Moorish  stain,  and  I  was  in  shadow;  it  was  idle  to  fear 
recognition  that  might  never  come.  The  Queen  seated  her 
self,  and  her  daughter  beside  her,  and  with  her  good  smile 
motioned  the  Archbishop  to  a  chair.  The  two  ecclesiastics, 
both  venerable  men,  were  given  seats.  The  rest  of  the  com 
pany  stood.  The  Queen's  blue  eyes  rested  on  Don  Enrique. 
She  spoke  in  a  clear,  mild  voice,  threaded  with  dignity. 
"  Were  you  summoned  thither,  Don  Enrique  de  Cerda  ?  " 

He  answered,  "  No,  Highness !  I  came  to  the  palace  to 
seek  Master  Manuel  Rodriguez  who  is  to  paint  for  me  an 
altarpiece  for  the  Church  of  Saint  Dominic.  You  and  the 

[29] 


King,  Madam,  I  thought  were  in  Granada.  Not  finding  him 
in  his  own  lodging,  I  made  bold  to  come  here.  Then  at 
once,  before  I  could  hasten  away,  you  returned !  " 

The  true  nature  of  this  Queen  was  to  think  no  evil.  Her 
countenance  remained  mild.  He  had  done  valiant  service, 
and  she  was  sisterly-minded  toward  the  greater  part  of  the 
world.  Now  she  said  with  serenity,  "  There  is  no  fault, 
Don  Enrique.  Stay  with  us  now  that  you  are  here." 

Bowing  deeply,  he  joined  a  brother-in-arms,  Don  Miguel 
de  Silva.  His  squire  stood  in  the  shadow  behind  him,  but 
found  a  chance-left  lane  of  vision  down  which  much  might 
be  seen. 

The  Queen  composed  herself  in  her  chair.  "  This  is  the 
position,  Master  Manuel  ?  "  The  fair  man,  so  fine  and  quick 
that  I  loved  to  look  at  him,  bowed  and  stepped  back  to  his 
canvas,  where  he  took  up  his  brush  and  fell  to  work.  The 
Queen  and  the  Archbishop  began  to  speak  earnestly  together. 
Words  and  sentences  floated  to  Juan  Lepe  standing  by  the 
arras.  The  Queen  made  thoughtful  pauses,  looking  before 
her  with  steady  blue  eyes  and  a  somewhat  lifted  face.  I 
noted  that  when  she  did  this  Manuel  Rodriguez  painted 
fast. 

There  fell  a  pause  in  their  talk.  Something  differing  from 
the  subject  of  discourse,  whatever  in  its  fullness  that  might 
be,  seemed  to  come  into  her  mind.  She  sent  her  glance  across 
the  room. 

"  Don  Enrique  de  Cerda  —  " 

The  tone  summoned.  When  he  was  before  her,  "  It  was 
in  my  mind,"  said  the  Queen,  "  to  send  for  you  within  a 
day  or  two.  But  now  you  are  here,  and  this  moment  while 
we  await  the  King  is  as  good  as  another.  We  have  had 
letters  from  the  Bishop  of  Seville  whom  we  reverence,  and 
from  Don  Pedro  Enriquez  to  whom  we  owe  much.  They 
have  to  do  with  Jayme  de  Marchena  who  has  long  been 
suspect  by  the  Holy  Office.  He  has  fled  Seville,  gone  none 
know  where !  Don  Pedro  informs  us,  Don  Enrique,  that 
years  ago  this  man  stood  among  your  friends.  He  does  not 

[30] 


think  it  probable  that  this  is  yet  so  —  nor  do  I,  Don  Enrique, 
knowing  that  you  must  hold  in  abhorrence  the  heretic !  " 
She  looked  mildly  upon  him.  "  In  youth  we  make  chance 
friendships  thick  as  May,  but  manhood  weeds  the  garden! 
And  yet  we  think  it  possible  that  this  man  may  in  his  heart 
trade  on  old  things  and  make  his  way  to  you  or  send  you 
appeal."  She  paused,  then  said  in  a  quiet  voice,  "  Should 
that  happen,  Don  Enrique,  on  your  allegiance,  and  as  a 
good  Christian,  you  will  do  all  that  you  can  to  put  him  in 
the  hands  of  the  Holy  Office." 

She  waited  with  her  blue  eyes  upon  him.  He  said,  and 
said  quietly,  "  It  was  long  ago,  Madam,  when  I  was  a  young 
man  and  careless.  I  will  do  all  that  lies  in  me  to  do.  But 
Spain  is  wide  and  there  are  ships  to  Africa  and  other  shores." 

She  said,  "  Yes,  I  do  not  see  such  an  one  daring  to  come 
to  Santa  Fe!  But  they  say  that  ten  demons  possess  a 
heretic,  and  that  he  crosses  streams  upon  a  hair  or  walks 
edges  of  high  walls." 

With  her  ringed  hand  she  made  gesture  of  dismissal.  He 
bowed  low  and  stepped  back  to  his  former  place. 

The  sun  flooded  in  at  window.  Manuel  Rodriguez  painted 
steadily.  The  Queen  sat  still,  with  lifted  face  and  eyes 
strained  into  distance.  She  sighed  and  came  back  from 
wastes  where  she  would  be  Christian,  oh,  where  she  would 
be  Christian !  and  began  with  a  tender,  maternal  look  to  talk 
with  her  daughter. 


[31] 


CHAPTER  VI 

THE  door  giving  upon  the  great  corridor  opened.  One 
said,  "  The  King,  Madam !  "  King  Ferdinand  entered 
quietly,  in  the  sober  fashion  of  a  sober  and  able  man. 
He  was  cool  and  balanced,  true  always  to  his  own  concep 
tion  of  his  own  dues.  The  Queen  rose  and  stepped  to  meet 
him.  They  spoke,  standing  together,  after  which  he  handed 
her  to  her  chair  and  took  beside  her  the  other  great  chair 
which  the  pages  had  swiftly  placed.  After  greeting  his 
daughter  and  the  Archbishop  he  looked  across  to  the  painter. 
"  Master  Manuel  Rodriguez,  good  day !  " 

There  fell  a  moment  of  sun-drenched  quiet  in  which  they 
all  sat  for  their  picture.  Then  said  the  King,  "  Madam,  we 
are  together,  and  here  are  those  who  have  been  our  chief 
advisers  in  this  affair  of  discoveries.  Master  Christopherus 
is  below.  We  noted  him  in  the  court.  Let  us  have  him 
here  and  see  this  too-long-dragging  matter  finished!  Once 
for  all  abate  his  demands,  or  once  for  all  let  him  go !  " 

They  sent  a  page.  Again  there  was  sunny  silence,  then 
in  at  the  door  came  the  tall,  muscular,  gray-eyed,  silver- 
haired  man  whom  I  had  met  the  day  King  Boabdil  sur 
rendered  Granada. 

He  made  reverence  to  the  Queen  and  the  King  and  to  the 
Archbishop.  It  was  the  Queen  who  spoke  to  him  and  that 
gently. 

"  Master  Christopherus,  we  have  had  a  thousand  busi 
nesses,  and  so  our  matter  here  has  waited  and  waited.  To 
day  comes  unaware  this  quiet  hour  and  we  will  give  it  to 
you.  Here  with  us  are  the  Archbishop  and  others  who 
have  been  our  counsellors,  and  here  is  Don  Alonzo  de  Quin- 

[32] 


tantella  who  hath  always  stood  your  friend.  In  all  the  hurly- 
burly  we  yet  took  time,  two  days  ago,  to  sit  in  council  and 
come  to  conclusion.  And  now  we  give  you  our  determina 
tion.  In  all  reason  it  should  give  you  joy !  "  She  smiled 
upon  him.  "  How  many  years  since  first  you  laid  your 
plan  before  us  ?  " 

He  answered  her  in  a  deep  voice,  thrilling  and  crowded 
with  feeling.  "Seven  years,  Madam  your  Highness!  Like 
an  infant  laid  at  your  feet.  And  winter  has  blown  upon  it, 
and  sunshine  carrying  hope  has  walked  around  it,  and  then 
again  the  cold  wind  rises  —  " 

The  King  spoke.  "  Master  Christopherus,  in  war  much 
else  has  to  cease!  In  much  we  have  had  to  find  patience, 
and  you  have  to  find  it." 

"  My  lord  King,  yes ! "  replied  the  tall  man.  "  It  is 
eighteen  years  since  in  Lisbon,  looking  upon  the  sea  one  day, 
I  said  to  myself,  '  Is  there  a  question  that  is  not  to  be  an 
swered?  This  ocean  is  to  be  crossed.  Then  why  do  not  I 
cross  it?  There  is  Cipango,  Cathay  and  India!  Gold  and 
spices  are  there,  and  here  lie  ships,  and  between,  when  all 
is  said,  is  only  sea !  God  made  the  sea  to  be  sailed !  Yonder 
they  worship  idols,  here  we  worship  Christ.  There  are 
idols,  here  is  Christ.  Once  a  Christopherus  carried  Christ 
across  water ! '  Eighteen  years  ago.  I  said,  '  I  can  do  it ! ' 
I  say  it  to-day,  my  lord  and  my  lady.  I  can  do  it !  " 

Of  the  seated  great  ones  only  the  Queen's  spirit  appeared 
to  answer  his.  He  seemed  to  enchant  her,  to  take  her  with 
him.  But  the  King's  cool  face  regarded  him  with  something 
like  dislike.  He  spoke  in  an  edged  voice.  "  Saint  Chris 
topher  asked  no  great  wage.  That  is  the  point,  Master 
Christopherus,  so  let  us  to.  it!  At  last  the  Queen  and  I 
say  '  We  agree '  to  this  enterprise,  which  may  bring  forth 
fruit  or  may  not,  or  may  mean  mere  empty  loss  of  ships 
and  men  and  of  our  monies !  Yet  we  say  '  yea.'  But  we 
do  not  say  '  yea ',  Master  Christopherus,  to  the  too  great 
ferry  fee  which  you  ask !  I  say  '  ask ',  but  verily  the  tone 
is  of  command !  " 

[33] 


1492 


The  man  whom  they  called  Master  Christopherus  made  a 
slow,  wide  gesture  of  deprecation.  The  Archbishop  took 
the  word.  "  Too  much !  You  ask  a  hundred  times  too 
much !  I  must  say  to  you  that  it  is  unchristianly  arrogance. 
You  talk  like  a  soldan !  "  An  assenting  murmur  came  from 
the  other  ecclesiastics. 

The  Queen  spoke.  "  Master  Christopherus,  if  it  be  a  great 
thing  to  do,  is  not  the  doing  it  and  thereby  blessing  your 
self  no  less  than  others  —  is  not  that  reward?  Not  that 
Castile  shall  deny  you  reward,  no!  Trust  me  that  if  you 
bring  us  the  key  of  India  you  shall  not  find  us  niggardly! 
But  we  and  they  who  advise  us  stumble  at  your  prescribing 
wealth,  honors  and  gifts  that  they  say  truly  are  better  fitting 
a  great  prince!  Trust  us  for  enrichment  and  for  honor  do 
you  come  back  with  the  great  thing  done !  Leave  it  all  now 
to  Time  that  brings  to  pass.  So  you  will  be  clearer  to  go 
forth  to  the  blessed  carrying  of  Christ ! " 

She  spoke  earnestly,  a  Queen,  but  with  much  about  her 
of  womanly,  motherly  sweetness.  I  saw  that  she  greatly 
liked  the  man  and  somewhere  met  his  spirit.  But  the  King 
was  gathering  hardness.  He  spoke  to  a  secretary  standing 
behind  him.  "  Have  you  it  there  written  down,  the  Italian's 
demand  ?" 

The  man  produced  a  paper.  "  Read !  "  But  before  it 
could  be  unfolded,  Master  Christopherus  spoke. 

"  '  Italian ! '  Seven  years  in  Spain  and  ten  in  Portugal, 
and  a  good  while  in  Porto  Santo  thai  belongs  to  Portugal, 
a  little  in  England  and  in  Ultima  Thule  or  Iceland,  and  long, 
long  years  upon  ships  decked  and  undecked  in  all  the  seas 
that  are  known — fourteen  years,  childhood  and  boyhood,  in 
Genoa  and  at  Pavia  where  I  went  to  school,  and  all  my 
years  of  hope  in  Christ's  Kingdom,  and  in  the  uplands  of 
great  doers  —  and  your  Highness  says  to  me  for  a  slighting 
word,  '  Italian ! '  I  was  born  in  Italy,  but  to-day,  for  this 
turn,  King  Ferdinand,  you  should  call  me  '  Spaniard  ' !  As, 
if  King  John  sends  me  forth  he  will  call  me  Portuguese! 
Or  King  Henry  will  say,  '  Christopher  the  Englishman '  ! 

[34] 


or  King  Charles,  to  whom  verily  I  see  that  I  may  go,  shall 
say,  *  Frenchman,  to  whom  all  owe  the  marriage  of  East  and 
West,  but  France  owes  Empire ! ' : 

The  King  said,  "  It  may  be  so,  or  it  may  not  be  so, 
Master  Christopherus.  —  Read !  " 

The  secretary  read :  "  The  Genoese,  Cristof oro  Colombo, 
called  in  Spain  Cristobal  Colon,  and  in  the  Latin  Christo 
pherus  Columbus,  states  and  demands  in  substance  as  fol 
lows  :  Sailing  westward  he  will  discover  for  the  King  and 
Queen  of  the  Spains  the  Indies  and  Cathay  and  Cipango, 
to  the  great  glory  and  enrichment  of  these  Sovereigns  and 
the  passing  thereby  of  Spain  ahead  of  Portugal,  and  like 
wise  and  above  all  to  the  great  glory  of  Christ  and  of  Holy 
Church.  He  will  do  this,  having  seen  it  clear  for  many 
years  that  it  is  to  be  done,  and  he  the  instrument.  And  for 
the  finding  by  going  westward  of  the  said  India  and  all 
the  gain  of  the  world  and  the  Kingdom  of  God  and  of  our 
Sovereigns  the  King  Don  Ferdinand  and  the  Queen  Dona 
Isabella,  he  bargaineth  thus: 

"  He  shall  be  named  Admiral  of  the  Ocean-Sea,  whereby 
he  means  the  whole  water  west  of  the  line  drawn  by  the 
Holy  Father  for  the  King  of  Portugal.  He  shall  be  made 
Viceroy  and  Governor  of  all  continents  and  islands  that  he 
may  discover,  claim  and  occupy  for  the  Sovereigns.  And 
the  said  Christopherus  Columbus's  eldest  son  shall  hold  these 
offices  after  him,  and  the  heir  of  his  son,  and  his  heir,  down 
time.  He  shall  be  granted  one  tenth  of  all  gold,  pearls, 
precious  stones,  spices,  or  other  merchandise  found  or  bought 
or  exchanged  within  his  admiralty  and  viceroyship,  and  this 
tithe  is  likewise  to  be  taken  by  his  heirs  from  generation  to 
generation.  He  or  one  that  he  shall  name  shall  be  judge  in 
all  disputes  that  arise  in  these  continents  and  islands,  so  be  it 
that  the  honor  of  the  Sovereigns  of  Spain  is  not  touched. 
He  shall  have  the  salary  that  hath  the  High  Admiral  of 
Castile.  He  and  his  family  shall  be  ennobled  and  henceforth 
be  called  Don  and  Dona.  And  for  the  immediate  sailing 
of  ships  he  may,  if  he  so  desire,  be  at  an  eighth  of  the 

[35] 


expense  of  outfitting,  for  which  he  shall  be  returned  an 
eighth  of  all  the  profit  of  this  the  first  voyage." 

The  secretary  did  not  make  the  terms  less  sounding  by 
his  reading.  Wind  in  leaves,  went  a  stir  through  the  room. 
I  heard  a  page  near  me  whispering,  "  O  Sancta  Maria ! 
The  hanger-on,  the  needy  one !  Since  the  beginning  of  time 
I've  seen  him  at  doors,  sunny  and  cloudy  days,  the  big, 
droning  bee !  "  Manuel  Rodriguez  painted  on.  I  felt  his 
thought.  "  I  should  like  to  paint  you,  Admiral  of  the 
Ocean-Sea ! " 

The  room  recomposed  itself.  Out  of  silence  came  the 
King's  voice,  chill  and  dry.  "  We  abate  so  vast  a  claim  for 
so  vast  reward!  But  we  would  be  naught  else  but  just, 
and  in  our  ability  lavish.  Read  now  what  we  will  do !  " 

The  secretary  read.  It  had  a  certain  largeness  and  goodli- 
ness,  as  go  rewards  for  adventure,  even  for  great  adventure, 
what  the  sovereigns  would  do.  The  room  thought  it  should 
answer.  The  King  spoke,  "  We  can  promise  no  more  nor 
other  than  this.  It  contents  you,  Master  Christopherus  ?  " 

The  long- faced,  high-nosed,  gray-eyed  man  answered, 
"  No,  my  lord  King." 

"  Your  own  terms  or  none  ?  " 

"  Mine  or  none,  your  Highness." 

The  King's  voice  grew  a  cutting  wind.  "  To  that  the 
Queen  and  I  answer,  '  Ours  or  none ! ' :  Pushing  back 
his  chair,  he  glanced  at  sun  out  of  window.  "  It  is  over.  I 
incline  to  think  that  it  was  at  best  but  an  empty  vision.  You 
are  dismissed,  Master  Christopherus  !  " 

The  Genoese,  bowing,  stepped  backward  from  the  table. 
In  his  face  and  carriage  was  nothing  broken.  He  kept 
color.  The  Queen's  glance  went  after  him,  "  What  will  you 
do  now,  Master  Christopherus?" 

He  answered,  "  My  lady,  your  Highness,  I  shall  take 
horse  to-morrow  for  France." 

The  King  said,  "  France  ?  —  King  Charles  buys  ever  low, 
not  high !  " 

The  Sovereigns  and  the  great  churchmen  and  the  less 

[36] 


great  went  away  together.  After  them  flowed  the  high  at 
tendance.  All  went,  Don  Enrique  among  the  last.  Follow 
ing  him,  I  turned  head,  for  I  wished  to  observe  again  two 
persons,  the  painter  Manuel  Rodriguez  and  the  Admiral  of 
the  Ocean-Sea.  The  former  painted  on.  The  latter  walked 
forth  quite  alone,  coming  behind  the  grinning  pages. 

In  the  court  below  I  saw  him  again.  The  archway  to 
street  sent  toward  us  a  deep  wedge  of  shadow.  He  had  a 
cloak  which  he  wrapped  around  him  and  a  large  round  hat 
which  he  drew  low  over  his  gray-blue  eyes.  With  a  firm 
step  he  crossed  to  the  archway  where  the  purple  shadow 
took  him. 

Juan  Lepe  must  turn  to  his  own  part  which  now  must  be 
decided.  I  walked  behind  Don  Enrique  de  Cerda  through 
Santa  Fe.  With  him  kept  Don  Miguel  de  Silva,  who  loved 
Don  Enrique's  sister  and  would  still  talk  of  devoir  and  of 
plans,  now  that  the  war  was  ended.  When  the  house  was 
reached  he  would  enter  with  us  and  still  adhere  to  Don 
Enrique.  But  at  the  stair  foot  the  latter  spoke  to  the  squire. 
"  Find  me  in  an  hour,  Juan  Lepe.  I  have  something  to  say 
to  thee !  "  His  tone  carried,  "  Do  you  think  the  place  there 
makes  any  difference?  No,  by  the  god  of  friends!  " 

I  let  him  go  thinking  that  I  would  come  to  him  presently. 
But  I,  too,  had  to  act  under  the  god  of  friends.  In  Diego 
Lopez's  room  I  found  quill  and  ink  and  paper,  and  there  I 
wrote  a  letter  to  Don  Enrique,  and  finding  Diego  gave  it  to 
him  to  be  given  in  two  hours  into  Don  Enrique's  hand. 
Then  Juan  Lepe  the  squire  changed  in  his  own  room,  narrow 
and  bare  as  a  cell,  to  the  clothing  of  Juan  Lepe  the  sailor. 


[37] 


CHAPTER  VII 

DUSK  was  drawing  down  as  I  stole  with  little  trouble 
out  of  the  house  into  the  street  and  thence  into  the 
maze  of  Santa  Fe.  That  night  I  slept  with  minstrels 
and  jugglers,  and  at  sunrise  slipped  out  of  Cordova  gate 
with  muleteers.  They  were  for  Cordova  and  I  meant  to  go  to 
Malaga.  I  meant  to  find  there  a  ship,  maybe  for  Africa, 
maybe  for  Italy,  though  in  Italy,  too,  sits  the  Inquisition. 
But  who  knows  what  it  is  that  turns  a  man,  unless  we  call 
it  his  Genius,  unless  we  call  it  God?  I  let  the  muleteers 
pass  me  on  the  road  to  Cordova,  let  them  dwindle  in  the 
distance.  And  still  I  walked  and  did  not  turn  back  and 
find  the  Malaga  road.  It  was  as  though  I  were  on  the  sea, 
and  my  bark  was  hanging  in  a  calm,  waiting  for  a  wind  to 
blow.  A  man  mounted  on  a  horse  was  coming  toward  me 
from  Santa  Fe.  Watching  the  small  figure  grow  larger,  I 
said,  "  When  he  is  even  with  me  and  has  passed  and  is  a 
little  figure  again  in  the  distance,  I  will  turn  south." 

He  came  nearer.  Suddenly  I  knew  him  to  be  that  Master 
Christopherus  who  had  entered  the  wedge  of  shadow  yester 
day  in  the  palace  court.  He  was  out  of  it  now,  in  the  broad 
light,  on  the  white  road  —  on  the  way  to  France.  He  ap 
proached.  The  ocean  before  Palos  came  and  stood  again 
before  me,  salt  and  powerful.  The  keen,  far,  sky  line  of  it 
awoke  and  drew! 

Christopherus  Columbus  came  up  with  me.  I  said,  "  A 
Palos  sailor  gives  you  good  morning !  " 

Checking  the  horse,  he  sat  looking  at  me  out  of  blue-gray 
eyes.  I  saw  him  recollecting.  "  Dress  is  different  and 

[38] 


149Q 


poorer,  but  you  are  the  squire  in  the  crowd !  *  Sailor  — 
Palos  sailor  '  —  There's  some  meaning  there  too !  " 

He  seemed  to  ponder  it,  then  asked  if  I  was  for  Cordova. 

"  No.    I  am  going  to  Malaga  where  I  take  ship." 

"This  is  not  the  Malaga  road." 

"  No.  But  I  am  in  no  hurry !  I  should  like  to  walk  a  mile 
with  you/' 

"  Then  do  it,"  he  answered.  "  Something  tells  me  that 
we  shall  not  be  ill  travelers  together." 

I  felt  that  also  and  no  more  than  he  could  explain  it. 
But  the  reason,  I  know,  stands  in  the  forest  behind  the 
seedling. 

He  walked  his  horse,  and  I  strode  beside.  He  asked  my 
name  and  I  gave  it.  Juan  Lepe.  We  traveled  Cordova 
road  together.  Presently  he  said,  "  I  leave  Spain  for  France, 
and  do  you  know  why?  " 

Said  Juan  Lepe,  "  I  have  been  told  something,  and  I  have 
gathered  something  with  my  own  eyes  and  ears.  You  would 
reach  Asia  by  going  west." 

He  spoke  in  the  measured  tone  of  a  recital  often  made 
alike  to  himself  and  to  others.  "  I  hold  that  the  voyage  from 
Palos,  say,  first  south  to  the  Canaries  and  then  due  west 
would  not  exceed  three  months.  Yet  I  began  to  go  west 
to  India  full  eighteen  years  ago !  I  have  voyaged  eighteen 
years,  with  dead  calms  and  head  winds,  with  storms  and 
back-puttings,  with  pirates  and  mutinies,  with  food  and 
water  lacking,  with  only  God  and  my  purpose  for  friend !  I 
have  touched  at  the  court  of  Portugal  and  at  the  court  of 
Spain,  and,  roundabout  way,  at  the  court  of  England,  and  at 
the  houses  of  the  Doges  of  Venice  and  of  Genoa.  They  all 
kept  me  swinging  long  at  anchor,  but  they  have  never  given 
me  a  furthering  wind.  Eighteen  years  going  to  India !  But 
why  do  I  say  eighteen  ?  The  Lord  put  me  forth  from  land- 
side  the  day  I  was  born.  Before  I  was  fourteen,  at  the 
school  in  Pavia,  He  said,  '  Go  to  sea.  Sail  under  thy  cousin 
Colombo  and  learn  through  long  years  all  the  inches  of  salt 
water/  Later  He  said,  one  day  when  we  were  swinging 

[39] 


149Q 


off  Alexandria,  '  Study !  Teach  thyself !  Buy  books,  not 
wine  nor  fine  clothes  nor  favor  of  women.  Study  on  land 
and  study  at  sea.  Look  at  every  map  that  comes  before  you. 
Learn  to  make  maps.  When  a  world  map  comes  before  you, 
look  at  the  western  side  of  it  and  think  how  to  fill  it  out 
knowingly.  Listen  to  seamen's  tales.  Learn  to  view  the 
invisible  and  to  feel  under  foot  the  roundness  of  my 
earth ! ' 

"  And  He  said  that  same  year  off  Aleppo,  '  Learn  to 
command  ships.  Learn  in  King  Reinier's  war  and  in  what 
other  war  Genoa  makes.  Learn  to  direct  men  and  patiently 
to  hear  them,  winding  in  and  out  of  their  counsels,  keeping 
thyself  always  wiser  than  they/  Well,  I  studied,  and  learned, 
and  can  command  a  ship  or  ships,  and  know  navigation,  and 
can  make  maps  and  charts  with  the  best,  and  can  rule  sea 
men,  loving  them  the  while.  Long  ago,  I  went  to  that  school 
which  He  set,  and  came  forth  magister!  Long  after  His 
first  speaking,  I  was  at  Porto  Santo,  well  named,  and  there 
He  said,  '  Seek  India,  going  westward/  "  He  turned  his 
face  to  the  sun.  "  I  have  been  going  to  India  fifty-six  years." 

Juan  Lepe  asked,  "  Why,  on  yesterday,  were  you  not  con 
tent  with  the  King  and  Queen's  terms  ?  They  granted  honor 
and  competence.  It  was  the  estate  of  a  prince  that  you 
asked." 

Some  moments  passed  before  he  answered.  The  sun  was 
shining,  the  road  white  and  dusty,  the  mountains  of  Elvira 
purple  to  the  tops  and  there  splashed  with  silver.  When  he 
spoke,  his  voice  was  changed.  Neither  now  nor  hereafter 
did  he  discourse  of  money-gold  and  nobility  flowing  from 
earthly  kings  with  that  impersonal  exaltation  with  which  he 
talked  of  his  errand  from  God  to  link  together  east  and  west. 
But  he  drew  them  somehow  in  train  from  the  last,  hiding 
here,  I  thought,  an  earthly  weakness  from  himself,  and  the 
weakness  so  intertwined  with  strength  that  it  was  hard  to 
divide  parasite  from  oak. 

"  Did  you  see,"  he  asked,  "  a  boy  with  me  ?  That  was  my 
son  Diego  whom  I  have  left  with  a  friend  in  Santa  Fe. 

[40] 


Fernando,  his  half-brother,  is  but  a  child.  I  shall  see  him  in 
Cordova.  I  have  two  brothers,  dear  to  me  both  of  them, 
Diego  and  Bartholomew.  My  old  father,  Dominico  Co 
lombo,  still  lives  in  Genoa.  He  lives  in  poverty,  as  I  have 
lived  in  poverty  these  many  years.  And  there  is  Pedro 
Correo,  to  whom  I  owe  much,  husband  of  my  wife's  sister. 
My  wife  is  dead.  The  mother  of  Fernando  is  not  my  wife, 
but  I  love  her,  and  she  is  poor  though  beautiful  and  good. 
I  would  have  her  less  poor;  I  would  give  her  beautiful 
things.  I  have  love  for  my  kindred, —  love  and  yearning 
and  care  and  desire  to  do  them  good,  alike  those  who  trust 
me  and  those  who  think  that  I  had  failed  them.  I  do  not 
fail  them!" 

We  padded  on  upon  the  dusty  road.  I  felt  his  inner 
warmth,  divined  his  life.  But  at  last  I  said,  "  What  the 
Queen  and  King  promise  would  give  rich  care  —  " 

"  I  have  friends  too,  for  all  that  I  ride  out  of  Spain  and 
seem  so  poor  and  desolate !  I  would  repay  —  ay,  ten  times 
over  —  their  faith  and  their  help/' 

"Still  —  " 

"  There  are  moreover  the  poor,  and  those  who  study  and 
need  books  and  maps  that  they  cannot  purchase.  There  are 
convents  —  one  convent  especially  —  that  befriended  me 
when  I  was  alone  and  nigh  hopeless  and  furthered  my 
cause.  I  would  give  that  convent  great  gifts."  Turning  in 
the  saddle  he  looked  southwest.  "  Fray  Juan  Perez  —  " 

Palos  shore  spread  about  me,  and  rose  La  Rabida,  white 
among  vineyards  and  pines.  Doves  flew  over  cloister.  But 
I  did  not  say  all  I  knew. 

"  There  are  other  things  that  I  would  do.  I  do  not  speak 
of  them  to  many!  They  would  say  that  I  was  mad.  But 
great  things  that  in  this  age  none  else  seems  inclined  to  do !  " 

"  As  what  ?  "  I  asked.  "  I  have  been  called  mad  myself. 
I  am  not  apt  to  think  you  so." 

He  began  to  speak  of  a  mighty  crusade  to  recover  the 
Holy  Sepulchre. 

The  road  to  Cordova  stretched  sunny  and  dusty.  Above 

[41] 


the  mountains  of  Elvira  the  sky  stood  keen  blue.  Juan  Lepe 
said  slowly,  "  Admiral  of  the  Ocean-Sea  and  Viceroy  and 
Governor  of  continents  and  islands  in  perpetuity,  sons 
and  sons'  sons  after  you,  and  gilded  deep  with  a  tenth  of  all 
the  wealth  that  flows  forever  from  Asia  over  Ocean-Sea  to 
Spain,  and  you  and  all  after  you  made  nobles,  grandees  and 
wealthy  from  generation  to  generation !  Kings  almost  of 
the  west,  and  donors  to  the  east,  arousers  of  crusades  and 
freers  of  the  Sepulchre!  You  build  a  high  tower!" 

Carters  and  carts  going  by  pushed  us  to  the  edge  of  road 
and  covered  all  with  dust.  He  waited  until  the  cloud  sank, 
then  he  said,  "  Do  you  know  —  but  you  cannot  know  — 
what  it  is  to  be  sent  from  pillar  to  post  and  wait  in  ante 
chambers  where  the  air  stifles,  and  doff  cap  —  who  have 
been  captain  of  ships!  —  to  chamberlain,  page  and  lackey? 
To  be  called  dreamer,  adventurer,  dicer !  To  hear  the  laugh 
and  catch  the  sneer!  To  be  the  persuader,  the  beggar  of 
good  and  bad,  high  and  low  —  to  beg  year  in  and  year  out, 
cold  and  warmth,  summer  and  winter,  sunrise,  noon  and 
sunset,  calm  and  storm,  beg  of  galleon  and  beg  of  carrack, 
yea,  beg  of  cockboat!  To  see  your  family  go  needy,  to  be 
doubted  by  wife  and  child  and  brethren  and  friends  and 
acquaintance !  To  have  them  say,  l  While  you  dream  we 
go  hungry ! '  and  '  What  good  will  it  do  us  if  there  is  India, 
while  we  famish  in  Spain  ? '  and  *  You  love  us  not,  or  you 
would  become  a  prosperous  sea  captain ! '  —  Not  one  year 
but  eighteen,  eighteen,  since  I  saw  in  vision  the  sun  set  not 
behind  water  but  behind  vale  and  hill  and  mountain  and 
cities  rich  beyond  counting,  and  smelled  the  spice  draught 
from  the  land  !  " 

I  saw  that  he  must  count  upon  huge  indemnity.  We  all 
dream  indemnity.  But  still  I  thought  and  think  that  there 
was  here  a  weakness  in  him.  Far  inward  he  may  have 
known  it  himself,  the  outer  self  was  so  busy  rinding  grounds ! 
After  a  moment  he  spoke  again,  "  Little  things  bring  little 
reward.  But  to  keep  proportion  and  harmony,  great  thing 
must  bring  great  things!  You  do  not  know  what  it  is  to 

[42] 


cross  where  no  man  hath  crossed  and  to  find  what  no  man 
hath  found!" 

"  Yes,  it  is  a  great  thing !  " 

"  Then,"  said  he,  "  what  is  it,  that  which  I  ask,  to  the 
grandeur  of  time !  " 

He  spoke  with  a  lifted  face,  eyes  upon  the  mountain  crests 
and  the  blue  they  touched.  They  were  nearer  us  than  they 
had  been ;  the  Pass  of  Elvira  was  at  hand.  Yet  on  I  walked, 
and  before  me  still  hung  the  far  ocean  west  of  Palos.  I 
said,  "  I  know  something  of  the  guesses,  the  chances  and 
the  dangers,  but  I  have  not  spent  there  years  of  study  —  " 

He  kindled,  having  an  auditor  whom  he  chose  to  think 
intelligent.  He  checked  his  horse,  that  fell  to  grazing  the 
bit  of  green  by  the  way.  "  As  though,"  he  said,  "  I  stood 
in  Cipango  beneath  a  golden  roof,  I  know  that  it  can  be 
done !  Twelve  hundred  leagues  at  the  most.  Look !  "  he 
said.  "  You  are  not  an  ignoramus  like  some  I  have  met ; 
nor  if  I  read  you  right  are  you  like  others  who  not  knowing 
that  True  Religion  is  True  Wonder  up  with  hands  and  cry, 
'  Blasphemy,  Sacrilege  and  Contradiction ! '  Earth  and  water 
make  an  orb.  Place  ant  on  apple  and  see  that  orbs  may 
be  gone  around!  Travel  far  enough  and  east  and  west 
change  names !  Straight  through,  beneath  us,  are  other  men." 

"  Feet  against  feet.  Antipodes,"  I  said.  "All  the  life  of 
man  is  taking  Wonder  in  and  making  Her  at  borne ! " 

"  So !  "  he  answered.  "  Now  look !  The  largeness  of  our 
globe  is  at  the  equator.  The  great  Ptolemy  worked  out 
our  reckoning.  Twenty-four  hours,  fifteen  degrees  to  each, 
in  all  three  hundred  and  sixty  degrees.  It  is  held  that  the 
Greeks  and  the  Romans  knew  fifteen  of  these  hours.  They 
stretched  their  hand  from  Gibraltar  and  Tangier,  calling 
them  Pillars  of  Hercules,  to  mid-India.  Now  in  our  time 
we  have  the  Canaries  and  the  King  of  Portugal's  new  islands 
—  another  hour,  mark  you!  Sixteen  from  twenty- four 
leaves  eight  hours  empty.  How  much  of  that  is  water  and 
how  much  is  earth  ?  Where  ends  Ocean-Sea  and  where  be 
gins  India  and  Cathay,  of  which  the  ancients  knew  only  a 

[43] 


part?  The  Arabian  Alfraganus  thinks  that  Ptolemy's  de 
grees  should  be  less  in  size.  If  that  be  right,  then  the  earth 
is  smaller  than  is  thought,  and  India  nearer!  I  myself 
incline  to  hold  with  Alfraganus.  It  may  be  that  less  than 
two  months'  sailing,  calm  and  wind,  would  bring  us  to 
Cipango.  Give  me  the  ships  and  I  will  do  it ! " 

"  You  might  have  had  them  yesterday." 

To  a  marked  extent  he  could  bring  out  and  make  visible 
his  inner  exaltation.  Now,  tall,  strong,  white-haired,  he 
looked  a  figure  of  an  older  world.  "  The  spheres  and  all 
are  set  to  harmony ! "  he  said.  "  I  would  have  fitness. 
Great  things  throughout!  Diamonds  and  rubies  without 
flaw  in  the  crown. —  We  will  talk  no  more  about  abating 
just  demand ! " 

I  agreed  with  a  nod,  and  indeed  there  was  never  any 
shaking  him  here.  Beneath  his  wide  and  lofty  vision  of  a 
world  filled  out  to  the  eternal  benefit  of  all  rested  always 
this  picture  which  I  knew  he  savored  like  wine  and  warmth. 
His  family,  his  sons,  his  brothers  and  kindred,  the  aged 
father  in  Genoa,  all  friends  and  backers  —  and  he  a  warm 
sun  in  the  midst  of  them,  all  their  doubts  of  him  dispelled, 
shining  out  upon  them,  making  every  field  rich,  repaying 
a  thousand,  thousandfold  every  trust  shown  him. 

The  day  sang  cool  and  high  and  bright,  the  mountains 
of  Elvira  had  light  snow  atop.  Master  Christopherus  be 
gan  again  to  speak. 

"  There  came  ashore  at  Porto  Santo  some  years  ago  a 
piece  of  wood  long  as  a  spar  but  thicker.  Pedro  Correo, 
who  is  my  brother-in-law,  saw  it.  It  was  graved  all  over, 
cut  by  something  duller  than  our  knives  with  beasts  and 
leaves  and  a  figure  that  Pedro  thought  was  meant  for  an 
idol.  He  and  another  saw  it  and  agree  in  their  description. 
They  left  it  on  the  beach  at  twilight,  well  out  of  water 
reach.  But  in  the  night  came  up  a  great  storm  that  swept 
it  away.  It  came  from  the  west,  the  wind  having  blown 
for  days  from  that  quarter.  I  ask  you  will  empty  billows 
fell  a  tree  and  trim  it  and  carve  it?  It  is  said  that  a  Portu- 

[44] 


guese  pilot  picked  up  one  like  it  off  Cape  Bojador  when  the 
wind  was  southwest.  I  have  heard  a  man  of  the  Azores 
tell  of  giant  reeds  pitched  upon  his  shore  from  the  west. 
There  is  a  story  of  the  finding  on  the  beach  of  Flores  the 
bodies  of  two  men  not  like  any  that  we  know  either  in 
color  or  in  feature.  For  days  a  west  wind  had  driven  in 
the  seas.  And  I  know  of  other  findings.  Whence  do  these 
things  come? 

"  May  there  not  be  unknown  islands  west  of  Azores  ? 
They  might  come  from  there,  and  still  to  the  west  of  them 
stream  all  Ocean-Sea,  violent  and  unknown!  The  learned 
think  the  earth  of  such  a  size.  Your  Arabian  holds  it 
smaller.  What  if  it  is  larger  than  the  largest  calcula 
tion?" 

He  said  with  disdain,  "All  the  wise  men  at  Salamanca 
before  whom  the  King  set  me  six  years  ago  thought  it  had 
no  end!  Large  or  small,  they  called  it  blasphemy  for  me, 
a  poor,  plain  seaman,  son  of  a  wool-comber  and  not  even 
a  Spanish  wool-comber,  to  try  to  stretch  mind  over  it! 
Ocean-Sea  had  never  been  overpassed,  and  by  that  token 
could  not  be  overpassed!  None  had  met  its  dangers,  so 
dangers  there  must  be  of  a  most  strange  and  fearful  na 
ture  !  But  if  you  were  put  to  sea  at  fourteen  and  have  lived 
there  long,  water  becomes  water!  A  speck  on  the  horizon 
will  turn  out  ship  or  land.  Wave  carries  you  on  to  wave, 
day  to  night  and  night  to  day.  At  last  there  is  port !  " 

All  this  time  his  horse  had  been  cropping  the  scanty 
herbage.  Now  he  raised  his  head.  In  a  moment  we  too 
heard  the  horsemen  and  looking  back  toward  Santa  Fe  saw 
four  approaching.  As  they  came  nearer  we  made  out  two 
cavaliers  talking  together,  followed  by  serving  men.  When 
they  were  almost  at  hand  one  of  the  leaders  said  something, 
whereat  his  fellow  laughed.  It  floated  up  Cordova  road,  a 
wide,  deep,  rich  laugh.  Master  Christopherus  started. 
"  That  is  the  laugh  of  Don  Luis  de  St.  Angel ! " 

Don  Luis  de  St.  Angel  was,  I  knew,  Receiver  of  the 
Ecclesiastical  Revenues  for  Aragon,  a  man  who  stood  well 

[45] 


1492 


with  the  King.  The  horsemen  were  close  upon  us.  Sud 
denly  the  laugher  cried,  "  Saint  Jago !  Here  he  is !  " 

We  were  now  five  mounted  men  and  a  trudger  afoot.  The 
cavalier  who  had  laughed,  a  portly,  genial  person  with  a  bold 
and  merry  eye,  laughed  again.  "  Well  met,  Don  Cristoval . 
Well  met,  Admiral!  I  looked  to  find  you  presently!  You 
sailed  out  of  port  at  sunrise  and  I  two  hours  later  with  a 
swifter  ship  and  more  canvas  —  " 

"'Don'  and  '  Admiral' !"  answered  Master  Chris- 
topherus,  and  he  spoke  with  anger.  "You  jest  in  Spain! 
But  in  France  it  shall  be  said  soberly  —  " 

"  No,  no !  Don  and  Admiral  here !  Viceroy  and  Gover 
nor  here  —  as  soon  as  you  find  the  lands !  Wealthy  here  — 
as  soon  as  you  put  hand  on  the  gold ! "  Don  Luis  de  St. 
Angel's  laughter  ceased.  He  became  with  portentous  swift 
ness  a  downright,  plain  man  of  business.  He  talked,  all  of 
us  clustered  together  on  the  Cordova  road. 

"  The  Archbishop  kept  me  from  that  audience  yesterday, 
leaving  Don  Alonso  de  Quintanella  your  only  friend  there! 
The  Queen  was  tired,  the  King  fretted.  They  thought  they 
had  come  a  long  way,  and  there  you  stood,  Master  Chris- 
topherus,  shaking  your  head !  Don  Alonso  told  me  about  it, 
and  how  hopeless  it  seemed !  But  I  said,  '  If  you  conquer 
a  land  don't  you  put  in  a  viceroy?  I  don't  see  that  Don 
Cristoval  isn't  as  good  as  Don  This  One,  or  Don  That  One ! 
I've  a  notion  that  the  first  might  not  oppress  and  flay  the 
new  subjects  as  might  the  last  two !  That  is  a  point  to  be 
made  to  the  Queen!  As  for  perpetuity  of  office  and  privi 
leges  down  the  ages,  most  things  get  to  be  hereditary.  If 
it  grows  to  be  a  swollen  serpent  something  in  the  future  will 
fall  across  and  cut  it  in  two.  Let  time  take  care  of  it !  As 
for  wealth,  in  any  land  a  man  who  will  bear  an  eighth  of  the 
cost  may  fairly  expect  an  eighth  of  the  gain.  This  setting 
out  is  to  cost  little,  after  all.  He  says  he  can  do  it  with 
three  small  ships  and  less  than  a  hundred  and  fifty  men.  If 
the  ships  bring  back  no  treasure,  he  will  not  be  wealthy.  If 
there  is  a  little  gain,  the  Spains  need  not  grudge  him  his 

[46] 


handful  of  doubloons.  If  there  is  huge  gain,  the  King  and 
Queen  but  for  him  would  not  have  their  seven  eighths.  The 
same  reasoning  applies  to  his  tenth  of  all  future  gain  from 
continents  and  islands.  You  will  say  that  some  one  else  will 
arise  to  do  it  for  us  on  easier  terms.  Perhaps  —  and  per 
haps  not  for  a  century,  and  another  Crown  may  thrust  in 
to-morrow !  France,  probably.  It  is  not  impossible  that 
England  might  do  it.  As  for  what  is  named  overweening 
pride  and  presumption,  at  least  it  shows  at  once  and  for 
altogether.  We  are  not  left  painfully  to  find  it  out.  It 
goes  with  his  character.  Take  it  or  leave  it  together  with 
his  patience,  courage  and  long  head.  Leave  it,  and  presently 
we  may  see  France  or  England  swallow  him  whole.  He 
will  find  India  and  Cathay  and  Cipango,  and  France  or  Eng 
land  will  be  building  ships,  ships,  ships !  Blessed  Virgin 
above  us! '  said  I,  '  If  I  could  talk  alone  to  the  Sovereigns, 
I  think  I  could  clench  it!'" 

" '  Then  let  us  go  now  to  the  palace/  says  Don  Alonso, 
'  and  beg  audience ! ' 

"  That  did  we,  Don  Cristoval,  and  so  I  hail  you  '  Don ' 
and  '  Admiral ',  and  beg  you  to  turn  that  mule  and  reenter 
Santa  Fe !  In  a  few  days  you  and  the  King  and  Queen  may 
sign  capitulations." 

"Was  it  the  Queen?" 

"  Just.  The  King  said  the  treasury  was  drained.  She  an 
swered,  '  I  will  pawn  my  jewels  but  he  shall  sail ! '  Luis  de 
St.  Angel  says,  '  It  does  not  need.  There  is  some  gold  left 
in  the  coffers  of  Aragon.  After  all,  the  man  asks  but  three 
little  ships  and  a  few  score  seamen  and  offers  himself  to 
furnish  one  of  the  ships.' " 

"  With  Martin  Alonso  Pinzon's  help,  I  will !  " 

" '  Never,'  said  I  to  their  majesties,  '  was  so  huge  a  possi 
ble  gain  matched  against  so  small  a  sending  forth !  And  as 
for  this  Genoese  who  truly  hath  given  and  gives  and  will 
give  his  life  for  his  vision,  saith  not  Scripture  that  a  laborer 
is  worthy  of  his  hire?'  At  which  the  Queen  said  with 
decision,  'We  will  do  it,  Don  Luis!  And  now  go  and  find 

[47] 


Master  Christopherus  and  comfort  him,  whose  heart  must 
be  heavy,  and  indeed  mine/  she  saith,  *  was  heavy  when  he 
went  forth  to-day,  and  a  voice  seemed  to  say  within  me, 
"  What  have  you  done,  Isabella  ?  How  may  you  have 
hindered  I"'" 

The  Gatherer  of  Ecclesiastical  Revenues  laughed  again 
with  that  compelling  laughter.  "  So  forth  we  go,  and  Don 
Alonso  sends  for  you  to  his  house.  But  you  could  not  be 
found.  Early  this  morning  came  one  and  informed  us  that 
the  ship  had  put  out  of  harbor,  whereupon  my  nephew  and 
I  set  sail  after !  " 

The  Admiral  of  the  Ocean-Sea  turned  his  face  to  the 
west.  Not  knowing,  I  think,  what  he  did,  he  raised  his 
arm,  outstretched  it,  and  the  hand  seemed  to  close  in  greet 
ing.  His  face  was  the  face  of  a  man  who  sees  the  Beloved 
after  long  and  sorrowful  absence.  So  did  thought  and  pas 
sion  and  vision  charge  his  frame  and  his  countenance,  that 
for  a  moment  truly  there  was  effulgence.  It  startled.  Don 
Luis  held  his  speech  suspended,  in  his  eyes  wonder.  Master 
Christopherus  let  fall  his  arm.  He  sighed.  The  out-push 
ing  light  faltered,  vanished.  One  might  say,  if  one  chose, 
"  A  Genoese  sea  captain,  willing  to  do  an  adventurous  thing 
and  make  a  purse  thereby !  " 


[48] 


CHAPTER  VIII 

TUAN  LEPE,  quitting  the  Vega  of  Granada,  recrossed 
J  the  mountains.  I  was  at  wander.  I  did  not  go  to 
Malaga.  I  did  not  then  go  to  Palos.  I  went  to  San 
Lucar.  I  had  adventures,  but  I  will  not  draw  them  here. 
The  ocean  by  Palos  continued  with  me  in  sight  and  sound 
and  movement.  But  I  did  not  go  to  Palos.  I  went  to  the 
strand  of  San  Lucar,  and  there  I  found  a  small  bark  trad 
ing  not  to  Genoa  but  to  Marseilles.  Seamen  lacked,  and 
the  master  took  me  gladly.  I  freshened  knowledge  upon  this 
voyage. 

The  master  was  a  dour,  quiet  Catalan;  his  three  sons 
favored  him  and  their  six  sailors  more  or  less  took  the  note. 
The  sea  ran  quiet  and  blue  under  a  quiet  blue  heaven.  At 
night  all  the  stars  shone,  or  only  light  clouds  went  overhead. 
It  was  a  restful  boat  and  Jayme  de  Marchena  rested.  Even 
while  his  body  labored  he  rested.  The  sense  of  Danger  in 
every  room,  walking  on  every  road,  took  leave.  Yet  was 
there  throughout  that  insistent  sight  of  Palos  beach  and  the 
gray  and  wild  Atlantic.  All  the  birds  cried  from  the  west  ; 
the  salt,  stinging  wind  flung  itself  upon  me  from  the  west. 
Once  a  voice,  faint  and  silvery,  made  itself  heard.  "  Were 
it  not  well  to  know  those  other,  those  mightier  waters,  and 
find  the  strange  lands,  the  new  lands  ?  "  I  answered  my 
self,  "  They  are  the  old  lands  taken  a  new  way."  But  still 
the  voice  said,  "  The  new  lands !  " 

We  made  Marseilles  and  unladed,  and  were  held  there 
a  fortnight.  I  might  have  left  the  bark  and  found  work  and 
maybe  safety  in  France,  or  I  might  have  taken  another  ship 
for  Italy.  I  did  neither.  I  clung  to  this  bark  and  my  Cata- 

[49] 


lans.  We  took  our  lading  and  quitted  Marseilles,  and  came 
after  a  tranquil  voyage  to  San  Lucar.  Again  we  unladed 
and  laded,  and  again  voyaged  to  Marseilles.  Spring  became 
summer;  young  summer,  summer  in  prime.  We  left  Mar 
seilles  and  voyaged  once  more  San  Lucar-ward.  There 
rushed  up  a  fearful  storm  and  we  were  wrecked  off  Al- 
meria.  One  lad  drowned.  The  rest  of  us  somehow  made 
shore.  A  boat  took  us  to  Algeciras,  and  thence  we  trudged 
it  to  San  Lucar. 

My  Catalans  were  not  wholly  depressed.  Behind  their 
wrecked  ship  stood  merchants  who  would  furnish  another 
bark.  The  master  would  have  had  me  wait  at  San  Lucar 
until  he  went  forth  again.  But  I  was  bound  for  the  strand 
by  Palos  and  the  gray,  piling  Atlantic. 

August  was  the  month  and  the  day  warm.  The  first  of 
August  in  the  year  1492.  Two  leagues  east  of  Palos  I 
overtook  three  men  trudging  that  way,  and  talking  now 
loudly  and  angrily  and  now  in  a  sullen,  dragging  fashion. 
I  had  seen  between  this  road  and  ocean  a  fishing  hamlet 
and  I  made  out  that  they  were  from  this  place.  They 
were  men  of  small  boats,  men  who  fished,  but  who  now 
and  again  were  gathered  in  by  some  shipmaster,  when  they 
became  sailors. 

In  me  they  saw  only  a  poorly  clad,  sea-going  person. 
When  I  gave  greeting  they  greeted  me  in  return.  "  For 
Palos  ?  "  I  asked,  and  the  one  who  talked  the  most  and  the 
loudest  gave  groaning  assent.  "  Aye,  for  Palos.  You  too, 
brother,  are  flopping  in  the  net?" 

I  did  not  understand  and  said  as  much.  He  gave  an 
angry  laugh  and  explained  his  figure.  "  Why,  the  Queen 
and  the  King  and  the  law  and  Martin  Pinzon,  to  whom  we 
are  bound  for  a  year,  are  pressing  us !  Which  is  to  say 
they've  cast  a  net  and  here  we  are,  good  fish,  beating  against 
the  meshes  and  finding  none  big  enough  to  slip  through! 
Haven't  you  been  pressed  too,  scooped  in  without  a  '  By 
your  leave,  Palos  fish ! '  A  hundred  fish  and  more  in  this 
net  and  one  by  one  the  giant  will  take  us  out  and  broil  us !  " 

[50] 


The  second  man  spoke  with  a  whine.  "  I  had  rather  a 
Barbary  pirate  were  coming  aboard!  I  had  rather  be  took 
slave  and  row  a  galley !  " 

The  third,  a  young  man,  had  a  whimsical,  dark,  fearless 
face.  "  But  we  be  going  to  see  strange  things  and  serve 
the  Queen !  That's1  something !  " 

"The  Queen  is  just  a  lady.  She  don't  know  anything 
about  deep  and  fearful  seas !  " 

"  Where  are  you  going,"  I  asked,  "  and  with  whom  ?  " 

The  angry  man  answered,  "  The  last  of  that  is  the  easiest, 
mate!  With  an  Italian  sorcerer  who  has  bewitched  the 
great !  He  ought  to  be  burned,  say  I,  with  the  Jews  and 
heretics!  We  are  going  with  him,  and  we  are  going 
with  Captain  Martin  Pinzon,  whom  he  hath  bewitched  with 
the  rest!  And  we  are  going  with  three  ships,  the  Santa 
Maria,  the  Pint  a  and  the  Nina/' 

The  third  said,  "  The  Santa  Maria's  a  good  boat/' 

"  There  isn't  any  boat,  good  or  bad,"  the  first  answered 
him,  "  that  can  hold  together  when  you  come  to  heat  that'll 
melt  pitch  and  set  wood  afire!  There  isn't  any  boat,  good 
or  bad,  that  can  stand  it  when  a  loadstone  as  big  as  Gibral 
tar  begins  to  draw  iron ! " 

The  second,  whose  element  was  melancholy,  sighed,  "  I've 
been  north  of  Ireland,  Pedro,  and  that  was  bad  enough! 
The  lookout  saw  a  siren  and  the  Infanta  Isabella  was  dashed 
on  the  rocks  and  something  laughed  at  us  all  night !  " 

"  Ireland's  nothing  at  all  to  it !  "  answered  the  angry  man, 
whose  name  was  Pedro.  "  I've  heard  men  that  know  talk ! 
The  Portuguese  going  down  Africa  coast  got  to  Cape  Boja- 
dor,  but  they've  never  truly  gotten  any  further,  though  I 
hear  them  say  they  have !  They  sent  a  little  carrack  further 
down,  and  it  had  to  come  back  because  the  water  fell  to 
boiling!  There  wasn't  any  land  and  there  wasn't  any  true 
sea,  but  it  was  all  melted  up  together  in  fervent  heat !  Like 
hot  mud,  so  to  speak.  It's  hell,  that's  what  I  say;  it's  hell 
down  there!  Moreover,  there  ain't  any  heaven  stretched 
over  it.JJ 

[51] 


"  What  does  it  mean  by  that  ?  "  asked  the  second. 

"  It  means,  Fernando,  that  there  wouldn't  be  any  sky, 
blue  nor  gray  nor  black,  nor  clouds,  nor  air  to  breathe! 
There  wouldn't  be  any  thunder  and  lightning  nor  rain  nor 
wind,  and  at  night  there  wouldn't  be  stars,  no  north  star, 
nor  any!  It  would  just  be  —  I  don't  know  what!  Fray 
Ignatio  told  me,  and  he  said  the  name  was  l  chaos  '." 

"  That  was  south.     That  wasn't  west/' 

"  West  is  just  as  bad !  " 

Fernando  also  addressed  the  young  man,  the  third,  call 
ing  him  Sancho.  "If  there  were  anything  west  for  Chris 
tian  men,  wouldn't  the  Holy  Father  at  Rome  have  sent  long 
ago  ?  We  are  all  going  to  die !  " 

"  But  they  didn't  know  it  was  round,"  said  Sancho.  "  Now 
we  do,  and  that's  the  difference!  If  you  started  a  little 
manikin  just  here  on  an  orange  and  told  him  to  go  straight 
ahead,  he'd  come  around  home,  wouldn't  he  ?  " 

"  You  weary  me,  Sancho !  "  cried  the  first.  "  And  what 
if  you  did  that  and  it  took  so  long  that  you  come  back  to 
Fishertown  old  and  bald  and  driveling,  and  your  wife  is 
dead  and  all  the  neighbors!  Much  good  you'd  have  from 
knowing  it  was  round !  " 

"  When  you  got  right  underfoot  wouldn't  you  fall ;  that's 
what  I  want  to  know  ?  " 

"Fall!    Fall  where?" 

"  Into  the  sky !  My  God,  it's  deep !  And  there  wouldn't 
be  any  boat  to  pick  you  up  nor  any  floating  oar  to  catch 
by-" 

The  vision  seemed  to  appall  them.  Fernando  drew  back 
of  hand  across  eyes. 

I  came  in.  "  You  wouldn't  do  that  any  more  than  the 
ant  falls  off  the  orange !  Men  have  come  back  who  have  been 
almost  underfoot,  so  far  to  the  east  had  they  traveled.  They 
found  there  men  and  kingdoms  and  ways  not  so  mightily 
unlike  ours." 

"  They  went  that  way,"  answered  Pedro,  jerking  his  hand 
eastward,  "  over  good  land !  And  maybe,  whatever  they 

[52] 


said,  they  were  lying  to  us !  I'm  thinking  most  of  the  learned 
do  that  all  the  time ! " 

"  Well,"  said  Sancho,  "  if  we  do  come  back,  we'll  have 
some  rare  good  tales  to  tell !  " 

There  fell  a  pause  at  that,  a  pause  of  dissent  and  exaspera 
tion,  but  also  one  of  caught  fancy.  It  would  undoubtedly 
be  a  glory  to  tell  those  tales  to  a  listening,  fascinated  Fisher- 
town  ! 

Juan  Lepe  said,  "  For  months  I've  been  with  a  trader 
running  from  San  Lucar  to  Marseilles.  I've  had  no  news 
this  long  while !  What's  doing  at  Palos  ?  " 

They  were  ready  for  an  audience,  any  audience,  and 
forthwith  I  had  the  story  of  the  Admiral  fairly  straight  — 
or  I  could  make  it  straight  —  from  that  day  when  we  parted 
on  the  Cordova  road.  These  men  did  not  know  what  had 
happened  in  March  or  in  April,  but  they  knew  something 
of  May.  In  May  he  came  to  Palos  and  settled  down  with 
Fray  Juan  Perez  in  La  Rabida,  and  to  see  him  went  Captain 
Martin  Pinzon  who  knew  him  already,  and  the  physician 
Garcia  Fernandez  and  others,  and  they  all  talked  together 
for  a  day  and  a  night.  After  that  the  alcalde  of  Palos  and 
others  in  authority  had  letters  and  warrants  from  the  Queen 
and  the  King,  and  they  overbore  everything,  calling  him 
Don  and  El  Almirante  and  saying  that  he  must  be  furnished 
forth.  Then  came  a  day  when  everybody  was  gathered  in 
the  square  before  the  church  of  Saint  George,  and  the  al 
calde  that  had  a  great  voice  read  the  letters. 

"  I  was  there !  "  said  Fernando.  "  I  brought  in  fish  that 
morning." 

"  I,  too !  "  quoth  Sancho.    "  I  had  to  buy  sailcloth." 

It  was  Pedro  chiefly  who  talked.  "  They  were  from  the 
King  and  Queen,  and  the  moral  was  that  Palos  must  fur 
nish  Don  Cristoval  Colon,  Admiral  of  the  Ocean-Sea  — 
and  we  thought  that  was  a  curious  thing  to  be  admiral  of! 
—  two  ships  and  all  seamen  needed  and  all  supplies.  A  third 
ship  could  be  enterprised,  and  any  in  and  around  Palos 
was  to  be  encouraged  to  put  in  fortune  and  help.  Ships 

[53] 


and  those  who  went  in  them  were  to  obey  the  said  Don 
Cristoval  Colon  or  Columbus  as  though  he  were  the  Queen 
and  the  King,  the  Bishop  of  Seville  and  the  Marquis  of 
Cadiz !  It  didn't  say  it  just  that  way  but  that  was  what  it 
meant.  We  were  to  follow  him  and  do  as  he  told  us,  or  it 
would  be  much  the  worse  for  us !  We  weren't  to  put  in  at 
St.  George  la  Mina  on  the  coast  of  Africa,  nor  touch  at  the 
King  of  Portugal's  islands,  and  that  was  the  whole  of  it !  " 

"  All  seamen  were  to  be  given  good  pay,"  said  Sancho. 
"  And  if  anybody  going  was  in  debt,  or  even  if  he  had  done 
a  crime  —  so  that  it  wasn't  treason  or  anything  the  Holy 
Office  handles  —  he  couldn't  be  troubled  or  held  back,  see 
ing  it  was  royal  errand.  That  is  very  convenient  for  some." 

Pedro  lost  patience.  "  You'd  make  the  best  of  Hell  it 
self!" 

"He'd  deny,"  put  in  Fernando,  "Holy  Writ  that  says 
there  shall  be  sorrows !  " 

They  embarked  upon  loud  blame  of  Sancho,  instance  after 
instance.  At  last  I  cut  them  across.  "  What  further  hap 
pened  at  Palos  ?  " 

They  put  back  to  that  port.  "  Oh,  it  didn't  seem  so  bad 
that  day !  One  and  another  thought,  '  Perhaps  I'll  go ! ' 
Him  they  call  The  Admiral  is  a  big  figure  of  a  man,  and  of 
course  we  that  use  the  sea  get  to  know  how  a  good  captain 
looks.  We  knew  that  he  had  sailed  and  sailed,  and  had  had 
his  own  ship,  maybe  two  or  three  of  them!  Then  too  the 
Pinzons  and  the  Prior  of  La  Rabida  answered  for  him.  A 
lot  of  us  almost  belong  to  the  Pinzons,  having  signed  to 
fish  and  voyage  for  them,  and  the  Prior  is  a  well-liked  man. 
The  alcalde  folds  up  the  letter  as  though  he  were  in  church, 
and  they  all  come  down  the  steps  and  go  away  to  the  al 
calde's  house  which  is  around  the  corner.  It  wasn't  until 
they  were  gone  that  Palos  began  to  ask,  '  Where  were  three 
ships  and  maybe  a  hundred  and  fifty  men  going?'" 

"  We  found  out  next  day,"  said  Fernando.  "  The  tide 
went  out,  but  it  came  back  bearing  the  sound  of  where  we 


were  going !  " 


[54] 


"  Then  what  happened  in  Palos  ?  " 

"  What  happened  was  that  they  couldn't  get  the  ships  and 
they  couldn't  get  the  men!  Palos  wouldn't  listen.  It  was 
too  wild,  what  they  wanted  to  do!  It  wouldn't  listen  to 
the  Prior  and  it  wouldn't  listen  to  Doctor  Garcia  Fernandez, 
and  it  wouldn't  even  listen  to  Captain  Martin  Alonso  Pin- 
zon.  And  when  that  happens  —  !  So  for  a  long  time  there 
was  a  kind  of  angry  calm.  And  then,  lo  you !  we  find  that 
they  have  written  to  the  Queen  and  the  King.  There  come 
letters  to  Palos,  and  they  are  harsh  ones !  " 

"  I  never  heard  harsher  from  any  King  and  Queen !  "  said 
Fernando. 

"  There  weren't  only  the  letters,  but  they'd  sent  also  a  great 
man,  Senor  Juan  de  Penelosa,  to  see  that  they  got  obedience. 
Upshot  is  we've  got  to  go,  ships  and  men,  or  else  be  laid  by 
the  heels !  As  for  Palos,  her  old  sea  privileges  would  be 
taken  from  her,  and  she  couldn't  face  that.  Get  those  ships 
ready  and  stock  them  and  pipe  sailors  aboard,  or  there'd 
be  our  kind  Queen  and  King  to  deal  with ! " 

"  Wherever  it  is,  we're  going.  Great  folk  are  too  tall 
and  broad  for  us !  " 

"  So  there  comes  another  crowd  in  the  square,  before  the 
church.  Out  steps  Captain  Martin  Pinzon,  and  he  cries, 
'  Men  of  Palos,  for  all  you  doubt  it,  'tis  a  glorious  thing 
that's  doing !  Here  is  the  Nina  that  my  brothers  and  I  own. 
She's  going  with  Don  Cristoval  the  Admiral,  and  the  men 
who  are  bound  to  me  for  fishing  and  voyaging  are  going,  and 
more  than  that,  there  is  going  Martin  Alonso  Pinzon,  for 
I'll  ask  no  man  to  go  where  I  will  not  go ! ' 

"  Then  up  beside  him  starts  his  brothers  Vicente  and 
Francisco,  and  they  say  they  are  going  too.  Fray  Ignatio 
stands  on  the  church  steps  and  cries  that  there  are  idolaters 
there,  and  he  will  go  to  tell  them  about  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ!  Then  the  alcalde  gets  up  and  says  that  the  Sover 
eigns  must  be  obeyed,  and  that  the  Santa  Maria  and  the 
Pinta  shall  be  made  ready.  Then  the  pilots  Sancho  Ruiz 
and  Pedro  Nino  and  Bartolomeo  Roldan  push  out  together 

[55] 


and  say  they'll  go,  and  others  follow,  seeing  they'll  have  to 
anyhow !  So  it  went  that  day  and  the  next  and  the  next, 
until  now  they've  pressed  all  they  need.  So  I  say,  we  are 
here,  brother,  flopping  in  the  net !  " 

"When  does  he  sail?" 

"  Day  after  to-morrow,  'tis  said.  But  we  who  don't  live 
in  Palos  have  our  orders  to  be  there  to-night.  Aren't  you 
going  too,  mate  ?  " 

I  answered  that  I  hadn't  thought  of  it,  and  immediately, 
out  of  the  whole,  there  rose  and  faced  me,  "  You  have 
thought  of  it  all  the  time !  " 

Sancho  spoke.  "If  you'll  go  with  us  to  Captain  Martin 
Pinzon,  he'll  enter  you.  He'd  like  to  get  another  strong 
man." 

I  said,  "  I  don't  know.  I'll  have  to  think  of  it.  Here  is 
Palos,  and  yonder  the  headland  with  La  Rablda." 

We  entered  the  town.  They  would  have  had  me  go  with 
them  wherever  they  must  report  themselves.  But  I  said 
that  I  could  not  then,  and  at  the  mouth  of  their  street  man 
aged  to  leave  them.  I  passed  through  Palos  and  beyond  its 
western  limit  came  again  to  that  house  of  the  poorest  where 
I  had  lodged  six  months  before  and  waking  all  night  had 
heard  the  Tinto  flowing  by  like  the  life  of  a  man.  Long  ago 
I  had  had  some  training  in  medicine,  and  in  mind's  medicine, 
and  three  years  past  I  had  brought  a  young  working  man 
living  then  in  Marchena  out  of  illness  and  melancholy.  His 
parents  dwelled  here  in  this  house  by  the  Tinto  and  they 
gave  me  shelter. 


[56] 


CHAPTER  IX 

RISING  at  dawn,  I  walked  to  the  sea  and  along  it  until 
I  came  at  last  to  those  dunes  beneath  which  I  had 
stretched  myself  that  day  of  grayness.  Now  it  was 
deep  summer,  blue  and  gold,  and  the  air  all  balm  and  caress 
ing.  The  evening  before  I  had  seen  the  three  ships  where 
they  rode  in  river  mouth.  They  were  caravels,  and  only  the 
Santa  Maria,  the  largest,  was  fully  decked.  Small  craft 
with  which  to  find  India,  over  a  road  of  a  thousand  leagues 
—  or  no  road,  for  road  means  that  men  have  toiled  there 
and  traveled  there  —  no  road,  but  a  wilderness  plain,  a 
water  desert!  The  Arabians  say  that  Jinn  and  Afrits  live 
in  the  desert  away  from  the  caravans.  If  you  go  that  way 
you  meet  fearful  things  and  never  come  forth  again.  The 
Santa  Maria,  the  Pinta  and  the  Nina.  The  Santa  Maria 
could  be  Master  Christopherus's  ship.  Bright  point  that 
was  his  banner  could  be  made  out  at  the  fore. 

Palos  waterside,  in  a  red-filtered  dusk,  had  been  a  noisy 
place,  but  the  noise  did  not  ring  genially.  I  gathered  that 
this  small  port  was  more  largely  in  the  mood  of  Pedro  and 
Fernando  than  in  that  of  Sancho.  It  looked  frightened  and 
it  looked  sullen  and  it  looked  angry. 

The  old  woman  by  the  Tinto  talked  garrulously.  Thank 
ful  was  she  that  her  son  Miguel  dwelled  ten  leagues  away! 
Else  surely  they  would  have  taken  him,  as  they  were  taking 
this  one's  son  and  that  one's  son!  To  hear  her  you  would 
think  of  an  ogre  —  of  Polyphemus  in  the  cave  —  reaching 
out  fatal  hand  for  this  or  that  fattened  body.  Nothing  then, 
she  said,  to  do  but  to  pinch  and  save  so  that  one  might 

[57] 


pay  the  priest  for  masses !  She  told  me  with  great  eyes 
that  a  hundred  leagues  west  of  Canaries  one  came  to  a  sea 
forest  where  all  the  trees  were  made  of  water  growing  up 
high  and  spreading  out  like  branches  and  leaves,  and  that 
this  forest  was  filled  with  sea  wolves  and  serpents  and 
strange  beasts  all  made  of  sea  water,  but  they  could  sting 
and  rend  a  man  very  ghastly.  After  that  you  came  to 
sirens  that  you  could  not  help  leaping  to  meet,  but  they 
put  lips  to  men's  breasts  and  sucked  out  the  life.  Then  if 
the  wind  drove  you  south,  you  smelled  smoke  and  at  night 
saw  flames,  and  if  you  could  not  get  the  ship  about  — 

In  mid-afternoon  I  left  the  sands  and  took  the  road  to 
La  Rabida.  By  the  walled  vineyard  that  climbs  the  hill 
I  was  met  by  three  mounted  men  coming  from  the  monastery. 
The  first  was  Don  Juan  de  Penelosa,  the  second  was  the 
Prior  of  La  Rabida,  the  third  was  the  Admiral  of  the  Ocean- 
Sea. 

Fray  Juan  Perez  first  saw  me  clearly,  drawn  up  by  wall. 
He  had  been  quoting  Latin  and  he  broke  at  Dominus  et 
magister.  The  Admiral  turned  gray  eyes  upon  me.  I  saw 
his  mind  working.  He  said,  "  The  road  to  Cordova  —  Wel 
come,  Juan  Lepe !  " 

"  Welcome,  Excellency !  " 

I  gave  him  the  name,  seeing  him  for  a  moment  some 
what  whimsically  as  Viceroy  of  conquered  great  India  of  the 
elephants  and  the  temples  filled  with  bells.  His  face  lighted. 
He  looked  at  me,  and  I  knew  again  that  he  liked  me.  I 
liked  him. 

My  kinsman  the  Prior  had  started  to  speak  to  me,  but 
then  had  shot  a  look  at  Juan  de  Penelosa  and  refrained. 
The  Queen's  officer  spoke,  "  Why,  here's  another  strong 
fellow,  not  so  tall  as  some  but  powerfully  knit!  Are  you 
used  to  the  sea?" 

I  answered  that  I  had  been  upon  a  Marseilles  bark  that 
was  wrecked  off  Almeria,  and  that  I  had  walked  from  San 
Lucar.  He  asked  my  name  and  I  gave  it.  "  Juan  Lepe." 

"  I  attach  you  then,  Juan  Lepe,  for  the  service  of  the 

[58] 


Queen!  Behold  your  admiral,  Don  Cristoval  Colon!  His 
ships  are  the  Santa  Maria,  the  Pinta  and  the  Nina,  his  desti 
nation  the  glorious  finding  of  the  Indies  and  Cipango  where 
the  poorest  man  drinks  from  a  golden  cup !  Princes,  I  fancy, 
drink  from  hollowed  emeralds !  You  will  sail  to-morrow  at 
dawn.  In  which  ship  shall  we  put  him,  Senor?" 

"  In  the  Santa  Maria,"  answered  the  Admiral. 

So  short  as  that  was  it  done!  And  yet  —  and  yet  —  it 
had  been  doing  for  a  long  time,  for  how  long  a  time  I  have 
no  way  of  measuring! 

Juan  de  Penelosa  continued  to  speak :  "  Follow  us  into 
Palos  where  Sebastian  Jaurez  will  give  you  wine  and  a  piece 
of  money.  Thence  you  will  go  to  church  where  indeed  we 
are  bound,  all  who  sail  being  gathered  there  for  general 
confession  and  absolution.  This  voyage  begins  Christianly !  " 

Said  Fray  Juan  Perez,  "  Not  to  do  that,  Juan  Lepe,  were 
to  cry  aloud  for  another  shipwreck !  " 

He  used  the  tone  of  priest,  thrusting  in  speech  as  priests 
often  do,  where  there  is  no  especial  need  of  speech.  But  I 
understood  that  that  was  a  mask,  and  could  read  kinsmanly 
anxiety  in  a  good  man's  heart.  I  said,  "  I  will  find  Sebastian 
Jaurez,  and  I  will  go  to  church,  Senors.  A  ship  is  a  ship, 
and  a  voyage  a  voyage ! " 

"  This,  Juan  Lepe,"  said  the  Admiral  in  that  peculiarly 
warm  and  thrilling  voice  of  his,  "  is  such  a  voyage  as  you 
have  never  been !  " 

I  made  reply,  "  So  be  it !  I  would  have  every  voyage 
greater  than  the  last."  And  as  they  put  their  steeds  into 
motion,  walked  behind  them  downhill  and  over  sandy  ways 
into  Palos.  There  I  found  Sebastian  Jaurez  who  signed  me 
in.  I  put  into  my  pocket  the  coin  he  gave  me  and  drank 
with  him  a  stoup  of  wine,  and  then  I  went  to  church. 

It  was  a  great  shadowy  church  and  I  found  it  full.  Jaurez 
piloted  me  to  where  just  under  pulpit  were  ranged  my  fellow 
mariners,  a  hundred  plain  sailormen,  no  great  number  with 
which  to  widen  the  world !  A  score  or  so  of  better  station 
were  grouped  at  the  head  of  these,  and  in  front  of  all  stood 

[59] 


Christopherus  Columbus.  I  saw  again  Martin  Alonso  Pin- 
zon  who  had  entered  the  Prior's  room  at  La  Rabida,  and 
with  him  his  two  brothers  Francisco  and  Vicente.  Martin 
Pinzon  would  be  captain  of  the  Pinta  and  Vicente  of  the 
Nina.  And  there  were  Roderigo  Sanchez  of  Segovia,  In 
spector-General  of  Armament,  and  Diego  de  Arana,  chief 
alguazil  of  the  expedition,  and  Roderigo  de  Escobedo,  royal 
notary,  and  with  these  three  or  four  young  men  of  birth, 
adventuring  for  India  now  that  the  war  with  the  Moor  was 
done.  And  there  were  two  physicians,  Garcia  Fernandez 
and  Berardino  Nunez.  And  there  was  the  Franciscan,  Fray 
Ignatio,  who  would  convert  the  heathen  and  preach  before 
the  Great  Khan. 

The  Admiral  of  Ocean- Sea  stood  a  taller  man  than  any 
there,  tall,  muscular,  a  great  figure.  He  was  richly  dressed, 
for  as  soon  as  he  could  be  dressed  richly.  A  shaft  of  light 
struck  his  brow  and  made  his  hair  all  glowing  silver.  His 
face  was  lifted.  The  air  about  him  to  my  eyes  swam  and 
quivered  and  was  faintly  colored. 

Fray  Juan  Perez  preached  the  sermon  and  he  used  great 
earnestness  and  now  and  again  his  voice  broke.  He  talked 
of  God's  gain  that  we  went  forth  upon,  reaping  in  a  field 
set  us.  One  thing  came  forth  here  that  I  had  not  before 
heard. 

"  And  the  unthinkable  wealth  that  surely  shall  be  found 
and  gained,  for  these  countries  to  which  you  sail  have  eight- 
tenths  of  the  world's  riches,  shall  put  Castile  and  Leon  where 
of  old  stood  Pagan  Rome,  and  shall  make,  God  willing,  of 
this  very  Palos  a  new  Genoa  or  Venice!  And  this  man, 
your  Admiral,  how  hath  he  proposed  to  the  Sovereigns  to 
use  first  fruits?  Why,  friends,  by  taking  finally  and  for 
ever  from  Mahound,  and  for  Holy  Church  and  her  servant 
the  Spains,  the  Holy  Sepulchre ! " 

In  the  end,  we  the  going  forth,  kneeling,  made  general 
confession  and  the  priest's  hands  in  the  dusk  above  absolved 
us.  There  was  solemnity  and  there  was  tenderness.  A 
hundred  and  twenty,  we  came  forth  from  church,  and  around 

[60] 


us  flowed  the  hundreds  of  Palos,  men  and  women  and 
children.  All  was  red  under  a  red  sunset,  the  boats  wait 
ing  to  take  us  out  to  the  Santa  Maria,  the  Pinta  and  the 
Nina. 

We  marched  to  waterside.  Priests  and  friars  moved 
with  us,  singing  loudly  the  hymn  to  the  Virgin,  Lady  of 
all  seamen.  Great  tears  ran  down  Fray  Juan  Perez's  cheeks. 
It  was  a  red  sunset  and  the  west  into  which  we  were  going 
looked  indeed  blood-flecked.  Don  Juan  de  Penelosa,  hark 
ing  us  on,  had  an  inspiration.  "  You  see  the  rubies  of 
Cipango !  " 

It  is  not  alone  "  great "  men  who  bring  about  things  in 
this  world.  All  of  us  are  in  a  measure  great,  as  all  are  on 
the  way  to  greater  greatness.  Sailors  are  brave  and  hardy 
men;  that  is  said  when  it  is  said  that  they  are  sailors.  In 
many  hearts  hung  dread  of  this  voyage  and  rebellion  against 
being  forced  to  it.  But  they  had  not  to  be  lashed  to  the 
boats;  they  went  with  sailors'  careless  air  and  dignity.  By 
far  the  most  went  thus.  Even  Fernando  ceased  his  wailing 
and  embarked.  The  red  light,  or  for  danger  or  for  rubies  in 
which  still  might  be  danger,  washed  us  all,  washed  the  town, 
the  folk  and  the  sandy  shore,  and  the  boats  that  would  take 
us  out  to  the  ships,  small  in  themselves,  and  small  by  distance, 
riding  there  in  the  river-mouth  like  toys  that  have  been 
made  for  children. 

The  hundred  and  twenty  entered  the  boats.  It  was  like  a 
little  fishing  fleet  going  out  together.  The  rowers  bent  to 
the  oars,  a  strip  of  water  widened  between  us  and  Spain. 
Loud  chanted  the  friars,  but  over  their  voices  rose  the  cry 
ing  of  farewell,  now  deep,  now  shrill.  " Adios!"  The 
sailors  cried  back,  "Adios!  Adios!"  From  the  land  it 
must  have  had  a  thin  sound  like  ghosts  wailing  from  the 
edge  of  the  world.  That,  the  sailors  held  and  Palos  held, 
was  where  the  ships  were  going,  over  the  edge  of  the  world. 
It  was  the  third  day  of  August,  in  the  year  fourteen  hundred 
and  ninety-two. 

[61] 


CHAPTER  X 

FLOS  vanished,  we  lost  the  headland  of  La  Rabida,  a 
laze  hid  Spain.  By  nightfall  all  was  behind  us.  We 
were  set  forth  from  native  land,  set  forth  from  Europe, 
set  forth  from  Christendom,  set  forth  from  sea  company 
and  sailors'  cheer  of  other  ships.  That  last  would  not  be 
wholly  true  until  we  were  gone  from  the  Canaries,  toward 
which  islands,  running  south,  we  now  were  headed.  We 
might  hail  some  Spanish  ship  going  to,  coming  from,  Grand 
Canary.  We  might  indeed,  before  we  reached  these  islands, 
see  other  sails,  for  a  rumor  ran  that  the  King  of  Portugal 
was  sending  ships  to  intercept  us,  sink  us  and  none  ever  be 
the  wiser,  it  not  being  to  his  interest  that  Spain  should 
make  discoveries!  Pedro  it  was  who  put  this  into  my  ear 
as  we  hauled  at  the  same  rope.  I  laughed.  "  Here  beginneth 
the  marvelous  tale  of  this  voyage!  If  all  happens  that  all 
say  may  happen,  not  the  Pope's  library  can  hold  the  books !  " 
The  Santa  Maria  was  a  good  enough  ship,  though  fifty 
men  crowded  it.  It  was  new  and  clean,  a  fair  sailer,  though 
not  so  swift  as  the  Pinta.  We  mariners  settled  ourselves 
in  waist  and  forecastle.  The  Admiral,  Juan  de  la  Cosa,  the 
master,  Roderigo  Sanchez,  Diego  de  Arana  and  Roderigo 
de  Escobedo,  Pedro  Gutierrez,  a  private  adventurer,  the  phy 
sician  Bernardo  Nunez  and  Fray  Ignatio  had  great  cabin 
and  certain  small  sleeping  cabins  and  poop  deck.  In  the 
forecastle  almost  all  knew  one  another ;  all  ran  into  kin 
ships  near  or  remote.  But  the  turn  of  character  made  the 
real  grouping.  Pedro  had  his  cluster  and  Sancho  had  his,  and 
between  swayed  now  to  the  one  and  now  to  the  other  a 

[62] 


large  group.  Fernando,  I  feel  gladness  in  saying,  had  with 
him  but  two  or  three.  And  aside  stood  variations,  indi 
viduals.  Beltran  the  cook  was  such  an  one,  a  bold,  mirth 
ful,  likable  man.  We  had  several  dry  thinkers,  and  a  brag 
gart  and  two  or  three  who  proved  miserably  villainous.  We 
had  weathercocks  and  men  who  faced  forward,  no  matter 
what  the  wind  that  blew. 

The  Admiral  knew  well  that  he  must  have,  if  he  could,  a 
ship  patient,  contented  and  hopeful.  I  bear  him  witness 
that  he  spared  no  pains. 

We  had  aboard  trumpet  and  drum  and  viol,  and  he 
would  have  frequent  music.  Each  day  toward  evening  each 
man  was  given  a  cup  of  wine.  And  before  sunset  all  were 
gathered  for  vesper  service,  and  we  sang  Salve  Regina.  At 
night  the  great  familiar  stars  shone  out  above  us. 

Second  day  passed  much  like  first,  —  light  fickle  wind, 
flapping  sails,  smooth  sea,  cloudless  sky.  To-day  beheld 
sea  life  after  shore  grown  habitual.  We  might  have  sailed 
from  Marseilles  or  Genoa  and  been  sailing  for  a  month.  If 
this  were  all,  then  no  more  terror  from  the  Sea  of  Dark 
ness  than  from  our  own  so  well-known  sea !  But  Fernando 
said,  "  It  is  after  the  Canaries !  We  know  well  enough  it 
is  not  so  bad  this  side  of  them.  Why  do  they  call  them  Dog 
Islands  ?  " 

"  Perhaps  they  found  dogs  there/' 

"  No,  but  that  they  give  warning  like  watchdogs !  '  If 
you  go  any  further  it  shall  be  to  your  woe ! ' 

"  Aye,  aye !  Have  you  heard  tell  of  the  spouting  moun 
tain?" 

This  night  the  wind  came  up  and  by  morning  was  blow 
ing  stiffly,  urging  us  landward  as  though  back  to  Spain. 
The  sky  became  leaden,  with  a  great  stormy  aspect.  The 
waves  mounted,  the  lookout  cried  that  the  Pinta  was  show 
ing  signals  of  distress.  By  now  all  had  shortened  sail,  but 
the  Pinta  was  taking  in  everything  and  presently  lay  under 
bare  poles.  The  Santa  Maria  worked  toward  her  until  we 
were  close  by.  They  shouted  and  we  back  to  them.  It  was 

[63] 


her  rudder  that  was  unshipped  and  injured.  Captain  Mar 
tin  Pinzon  shouted  that  he  would  overcome  it,  binding  it 
somehow  in  place,  and  would  overtake  us,  the  Pinta  being 
faster  sailer  than  the  Santa  Maria  or  the  Nina.  But  the 
Admiral  would  not  agree,  and  we  took  in  all  sail  and  lay 
tossed  by  a  rough  sea  until  afternoon  when  the  Pinta  sig 
naled  that  the  rudder  was  hung.  But  by  now  the  sky 
stretched  straight  lead,  and  the  water  ran  white-capped. 
We  made  no  way  till  morning,  when  without  a  drop  of  rain 
all  the  cloud  roof  was  driven  landward  and  there  sprang 
out  a  sky  so  blue  that  the  heart  laughed  for  joy.  The 
violent  wind  sank,  then  veered  and  blowing  moderately 
carried  us  again  southward.  All  the  white  sails,  white  and 
new,  were  flung  out,  and  we  raced  over  a  rich,  green  plain. 
That  lasted  through  most  of  the  day,  but  an  hour  before 
sunset  the  Pinta  again  signaled  trouble.  The  rudder  was 
once  more  worse  than  useless. 

Again  it  was  mended.  But  when  the  next  morning  it 
happened  the  third  time  and  a  kind  of  wailing  grumble 
went  through  the  Santa  Maria,  there  came  pronouncement 
from  the  Admiral.  "  The  Canaries  lie  straight  ahead.  In 
two  days  we  shall  sight  them.  Very  good!  we  shall  rest 
there  and  make  a  new  rudder  for  the  Pinta.  The  Nina  will 
do  better  with  square  sails  and  we  can  change  these.  — 
Fresh  meat  and  water  and  some  rambling  ashore !  " 

Beltran  the  cook  had  been  to  the  Canaries,  driven  there 
by  a  perverse  wind  twenty  years  ago  when  he  was  boatswain 
upon  a  big  carrack.  He  said  it  was  no  great  way  and  one 
or  two  agreed  with  him,  but  others  declined  to  believe  the 
Admiral  when  he  said  that  in  two  days  we  should  behold 
the  volcano.  Some  were  found  to  clamor  that  the  wind  had 
driven  us  out  of  all  reckoning !  We  might  never  find  the 
Canaries  and  then  what  would  the  Pinta  do?  Whereas,  if 
we  all  turned  back  to  Palos  — 

"  If  —  if !  "  answered  Beltran  the  cook,  who  at  'first 
seemed  strangely  and  humorously  there  as  cook  until  one 
found  that  he  had  an  injured  leg  and  could  not  climb  mast 

[64] 


nor  manage  sail.  'If  *  is  a  seaman  without  a  ship !  — 
He's  a  famous  navigator." 

"Martin  Pinzon?" 

"Him  too.     But  I  meant  our  Admiral." 

"  He  hasn't  had  a  ship  for  years !  " 

"  He  was  of  the  best  when  he  had  one !  Fve  heard  old 
Captain  Ruy  tell  —  " 

"  Maybe  he  wasn't  crazy  in  those  days,  but  he's  crazy 
now!" 

That  was  Fernando.  I  think  it  was  from  him  that  cer 
tain  of  the  crew  took  the  word  "  crazy."  They  used  it 
until  one  would  think  that  for  pure  variety's  sake  they 
would  find  another ! 

The  sixth  day  from  Palos  there  lifted  from  sea  the  peak 
of  Teneriffe. 

This  day,  passing  on  some  errand  the  open  door  of  the 
great  cabin,  I  saw  the  Admiral  seated  at  the  table.  Look 
ing  up,  he  saw  me,  gazed  an  instant,  then  lifted  his  voice. 
"Come  in  here!" 

He  sat  with  a  great  chart  spread  upon  the  table  before 
him.  Beside  it  the  log  lay  open,  and  he  had  under  his  hand 
a  book  in  which  he  was  writing.  Door  framed  blue  sky 
and  sea,  a  pleasant  wind  was  singing  in  a  pleasant  warmth, 
the  great  cabin  which,  with  the  rest  of  the  ship,  he  made 
to  be  kept  very  clean,  was  awash  with  light  and  fineness  of 
air.  "  Would  you  like  to  look  at  the  chart  ?  "  he  asked,  and  I 
came  and  looked  over  his  shoulder. 

"  I  made  it,"  he  said.  "  There  is  nothing  in  the  world 
more  useful  than  knowing  how  to  make  maps  and  charts! 
While  I  waited  for  Kings  to  make  up  their  minds  I  earned 
my  living  so."  I  glanced  at  the  log  and  he  pushed  it  to  me 
so  that  I  might  see.  "  Every  day  from  Palos  out."  His 
strong  fingers  touched  the  other  book.  "  My  journal  that 
I  keep  for  myself  and  the  Queen  and  King  Ferdinand  and 
indeed  for  the  world.  He  turned  the  leaves.  The  bulk  of 
them  were  blank,  but  in  the  front  showed  closely  covered 
pages,  the  writing  not  large  but  clear  and  strong.  "  This 

[65] 


1490 


voyage,  you  see,  changeth  our  world !  Once  in  Venice  I  heard 
a  scholar  learned  in  the  Greek  tell  of  an  old  voyage  of  a 
ship  called  Argo,  whence  its  captain  and  crew  were  named 
Argonauts,  and  he  said  that  it  was  of  all  voyages  most 
famous  with  the  ancients.  This  is  like  that,  but  probably 
greater."  He  turned  the  pages.  "  I  shall  do  it  in  the  man 
ner  of  Caesar  his  Commentaries." 

He  knew  himself,  I  thought,  for  as  great  a  man  as  Caesar. 
All  said,  his  book  might  be  as  prized  in  some  unentered 
future.  He  did  not  move  where  time  is  as  a  film,  but  where 
time  is  deep,  a  thousand  years  as  a  day.  He  could  not  see 
there  in  detail  any  more  than  we  could  see  tree*  and  house 
in  those  Canaries  upon  which  we  were  bearing  down. 

I  said,  "  Now  that  printing  is  general,  it  may  go  into  far 
lands  and  into  multitude  of  hands  and  heads.  Many  a  voy 
ager  to  come  may  study  it." 

He  drew  deep  breath.  "  It  is  the  very  truth !  Prince 
Henry  the  Navigator.  Christopherus  Columbus  the  Navi 
gator,  and  greater  than  the  first  —  " 

Sun  shone,  wind  sang,  blue  sea  danced  beyond  the  door. 
Came  from  deck  Roderigo  Sanchez  and  Diego  de  Arana. 
The  Admiral  made  me  a  gesture  of  dismissal. 

The  Canaries  and  we  drew  together.  Great  bands  of 
cloud  hid  much  of  the  higher  land,  but  the  volcano  top  came 
clear  above  cloud,  standing  bare  and  solemn  against  blue 
heaven.  Leaving  upon  our  right  Grand  Canary  we  stood  for 
the  island  of  Gomera.  Here  we  found  deep,  clear  water 
close  to  shore,  a  narrow  strand,  a  small  Spanish  fort  and 
beginnings  of  a  village,  and  inland,  up.  ravines  clad  with  a 
strange,  leafless  bush,  plentiful  huts  of  the  conquered 
Guanches.  Our  three  ships  came  to  anchor,  and  the  Admiral 
went  ashore,  the  captains  of  the  Pinta  and  the  Nina  follow 
ing.  Juan  Lepe  was  among  the  rowers. 

The  Spanish  commandant  came  down  to  beach  with  an 
armed  escort.  The  Admiral,  walking  alone,  met  him  be 
tween  sea  and  bright  green  trees,  and  here  stood  the  two 
and  conversed  while  we  watched.  The  Admiral  showed  him 

[66] 


letters  of  credence.  The  commandant  took  and  read,  handed 
them  back  with  a  bow,  and  coming  to  water  edge  had  pre 
sented  to  him  the  two  captains,  Martin  and  Vicente  Pinzon. 
He  proved  a  cheery  old  veteran  of  old  wars,  relieved  that 
we  were  not  Portuguese  nor  pirates  and  happy  to  have  late 
news  from  Spain.  It  seemed  that  he  had  learned  from  a 
supply  ship  in  June  that  the  expedition  was  afoot. 

The  Santa  Maria  and  the  Nina  rode  close  in  shore.  Cap 
tain  Martin  Pinzon  beached  the  Pinta  and  unshipped  the 
hurt  and  useless  rudder.  Work  upon  a  new  one  began  at 
once.  The  Admiral,  the  two  captains  and  those  of  rank  upon 
the  ships  supped  with  the  commandant  at  his  quite  goodly 
house,  and  the  next  day  he  and  his  officers  dined  aboard  the 
Santa  Maria.  The  Admiral  liked  him  much  for  he  was  more 
than  respectful  toward  this  voyage.  A  year  before,  bathing 
one  day  in  the  surf,  there  had  come  floating  to  his  hand  a 
great  gourd.  None  such  grew  anywhere  in  these  islands, 
and  the  wind  for  days  had  come  steadily  from  the  west.  The 
gourd  had  a  kind  of  pattern  cut  around  it.  He  showed  it  to 
the  Admiral  and  afterwards  gave  it  to  him.  The  latter 
caused  it  to  pass  from  hand  to  hand  among  the  seamen.  I 
had  it  in  my  hands  and  truly  saw  no  reason  why  it  might 
not  have  been  cut  by  some  native  of  the  West,  and,  carried 
away  by  the  tide  or  dropped  perchance  from  a  boat,  have  at 
last,  after  long  time,  come  into  hands  not  Indian.  Asia  toss 
ing  unthinkingly  a  ball  which  Europe  caught. 

The  Pinta  proved  in  worse  plight  than  was  at  first  thought. 
The  Nina  also  found  this  or  that  to  do  besides  squaring  her 
Levant  sails.  We  stayed  in  Gomera  almost  three  weeks. 
The  place  was  novel,  the  day's  task  not  hard,  the  Admiral 
and  his  captains  complaisant.  We  had  leisure  and  island 
company.  To  many  it  was  happiness  enough.  While  we 
stopped  at  Gomera  we  were  at  least  not  drifting  upon  lode- 
stone,  equator  fire  and  chaos ! 

Here  on  Gomera  might  be  studied  the  three  Pinzon  broth 
ers.  Vicente  was  a  good,  courageous  captain,  Francisco  a 
good  pilot,  and  a  courageous,  seldom-speaking  man.  But 

[67] 


Martin  Alonso,  the  eldest,  was  the  prime  mover  in  all  their 
affairs.  He  was  skillful  navigator  like  his  brothers  and 
courageous  like  them,  but  not  silent  like  Francisco,  and  am 
bitious  far  above  either.  He  would  have  said  perhaps  that 
had  he  not  been  so,  been  both  ambitious  and  shrewd,  the 
Pinzons  would  never  have  become  principal  ship-owning, 
trading  and  maritime  family  of  Palos  and  three  leagues 
around.  He,  too,  had  family  fortunes  and  aggrandizement 
at  heart,  though  hardly  on  the  grand,  imperial  scale  of  the 
Admiral.  He  had  much  manly  beauty,  daring  and  strength. 
His  two  brothers  worshipped  him,  and  in  most  places  and 
moments  his  crew  would  follow  him  with  a  cheer.  The 
Admiral  was  bound  to  him,  not  only  in  that  he  had  volun 
teered  and  made  6thers  to  go  willingly,  but  that  he  had 
put  in  his  ship,  the  Nina,  and  had  furnished  Master  Chris- 
topherus  with  monies.  That  eighth  of  the  cost  of  the  expe 
dition,  whence  else  could  it  come  ?  If  it  tied  Martin  Pinzon  to 
the  Admiral,  seeing  that  only  through  success  could  those 
monies  be  repaid,  it  likewise  made  him  feel  that  he,  too,  had 
authority,  was  at  liberty  to  advise,  and  at  need  to  become 
critical. 

But  the  Admiral  had  the  great  man's  mark.  He  could  ac 
knowledge  service  and  be  quite  simply  and  deeply  grateful 
for  it.  He  was  grateful  to  Martin  Pinzon  who  had  aided  him 
from  his  first  coming  to  Palos,  and  also  I  think  he  loved 
the  younger  man's  great  blond  strength  and  beauty.  He 
had  all  of  Italy's  quickness  to  beauty,  be  it  of  land  or  sea, 
forest,  flower,  animal  or  man.  But  now  and  again,  even 
so  early  as  this,  he  must  put  out  hand  to  check  Pinzon's 
impetuous  advice.  His  brows  drew  together  above  gray  eyes 
and  eagle  nose.  But  for  the  most  part,  on  Gomera,  they 
were  very  friendly,  and  it  was  a  sight  to  see  Admiral  and 
captains  and  all  the  privileged  of  the  expedition  sit  at  wine 
with  the  commandant. 

Juan  Lepe  had  no  quarrel  with  any  of  them.  Jayme  de 
Marchena  swept  this  voyage  into  the  Great  Voyage. 

The  Pinta  was  nearly  ready  when  there  arrived 

[68] 


a  small  ship  from  Ferro  bringing  news  that  three 
large  Portuguese  ships  had  sailed  by  that  island.  Said 
the  commandant,  "  Spain  and  Portugal  are  at  peace.  They 
would  not  dare  to  try  to  oust  us ! "  He  came  to  waterside 
to  talk  to  the  Admiral.  "  Not  to  fight  you/'  said  the  Ad 
miral,  "  but  me !  King  John  wishes  to  keep  India,  Cipango 
and  Cathay  still  veiled.  So  he  will  get  time  in  which  to  have 
from  the  Holy  Father  another  bull  that  will  place  the  Por 
tuguese  line  west  and  west  until  he  hath  the  whole !  "  He 
raised  his  hand  and  let  it  fall.  "  I  cannot  sail  to-morrow, 
but  I  will  sail  the  day  after !  " 

We  were  put  to  hard  labor  for  the  rest  of  that  day,  and 
through  much  of  the  moonlit  night.  By  early  morning  again 
we  labored.  At  mid-afternoon  all  was  done.  The  Pinta, 
right  from  stem  to  stern,  rode  the  blue  water ;  the  Nina  had 
her  great  square  sails.  The  Guanches  stored  for  us  fresh 
provisions  and  rolled  down  and  into  ship  our  water  casks. 
There  was  a  great  moon,  and  we  would  stand  off  in  the  night. 
Nothing  more  had  been  seen  of  the  Portuguese  ships,  but 
we  were  ready  to  go  and  go  we  should.  All  being  done, 
and  the  sun  two  hours  high,  we  mariners  had  leave  to  rest 
ashore  under  trees  who  might  not  for  very  long  again  see 
land  or  trees. 

There  was  a  grove  that  led  to  a  stream  and  the  waterfall 
where  we  had  filled  the  casks.  I  walked  through  this  alone. 
The  place  lay  utterly  still  save  for  the  murmuring  of  the 
water  and  the  singing  of  a  small  yellowish  bird  that  abounds 
in  these  islands.  At  the  end  of  an  aisle  of  trees  shone  the 
sea,  blue  and  calm  as  a  sapphire  of  heaven.  I  lay  down 
upon  the  earth  by  the  water. 

Finding  of  India  and  rounding  the  earth!  We  seemed 
poor,  weak  men,  but  the  thing  was  great,  and  I  suppose  the 
doers  of  a  great  thing  are  great.  East  —  west !  Going  west 
and  yet  east.  —  The  Jew  in  me  had  come  from  Palestine, 
and  to  Palestine  perhaps  from  Arabia,  and  to  Arabia  —  who 
knew  ?  —  perhaps  from  that  India !  And  much  of  the  Span 
iard  had  come  from  Carthage  and  from  Phoenicia,  old  Tyre 


14pQ 


and  Sidon,  and  Tyre  and  Sidon  again  from  the  east.  From 
the  east  and  to  the  east  again.  All  our  Age  that  with  all 
lacks  was  yet  a  stirring  one  with  a  sense  of  dawn  and  sun 
rise  and  distant  trumpets,  now  was  going  east,  was  going 
Home,  going  east  by  the  west  road.  West  is  home  and  East 
is  home,  and  North  and  South.  Knowledge  extendeth  and 
the  world  above  is  fed. 

The  sun  made  a  lane  of  scarlet  and  gold  across  Ocean- 
Sea.  I  wondered  what  temples,  what  towns,  what  spice  ships 
at  strange  wharfs  might  lie  under  it  afar.  I  wondered  if 
there  did  dwell  Prester  John  and  if  he  would  step  down  to 
give  us  welcome.  The  torrent  of  event  strikes  us  day  and 
night,  all  the  hours,  all  the  moments.  Who  can  tell  with 
distinctness  color  and  shape  in  that  descending  stream? 


CHAPTER  XI 

AN  hour  after  moonrise  we  were  gone  from  Gomera. 
At  first  a  light  wind  filled  the  sails,  but  when  the 
round  moon  went  down  in  the  west  and  the  sun  rose, 
there  was  Teneriffe  still  at  hand,  and  the  sea  glassy.  It 
rested  like  a  mirror  all  that  day,  and  the  sails  hung  empty 
and  the  banner  at  maintop  but  a  moveless  wisp  of  cloth. 
In  the  night  arose  a  contrary  wind,  and  another  red  dawn 
showed  us  Teneriffe  still.  The  wind  dropping  like  a  shot, 
we  hung  off  Ferro,  fixed  in  blue  glass.  Watch  was  kept 
for  the  Portuguese,  but  they  also  would  be  rooted  to  sea 
bottom.  The  third  morning  up  whistled  the  wind,  blowing 
from  Africa  and  filling  every  sail. 

Palos  to  the  Canaries,  we  had  sailed  south.  Now  for  long, 
long  days  the  sun  rose  right  aft,  and  when  it  set  dyed  with 
red  brow  and  eyes  and  cheek  and  breast  of  the  carved 
woman  at  our  prow.  She  wore  a  great  crown,  and  she 
looked  ever  with  wide  eyes  upon  the  west  that  we  chased. 
Straight  west  over  Ocean-Sea,  the  first  men,  the  first  ships ! 
If  ever  there  had  been  others,  our  world  knew  it  not.  The 
Canaries  sank  into  the  east.  Turn  on  heel  around  one's  self, 
and  mark  never  a  start  of  land  to  break  the  rim  of  the  vast 
sea  bowl!  Never  a  sail  save  those  above  us  of  the  Santa 
Maria,  or  starboard  or  larboard,  the  Pinta  and  the  Nina. 
The  loneliness  was  vast  and  utter.  We  might  fail  here,  sink 
here,  die  here,  and  indeed  fail  and  sink  and  die  alone ! 

Two  seamen  lay  sick  in  their  beds,  and  the  third  day 
from  Gomera  the  Santa  Maria's  physician,  Bernardo  Nunez, 
was  seized  with  the  same  malady.  At  first  Fray  Ignatio 


tried  to  take  his  place,  but  here  the  monk  lacked  knowledge. 
One  of  the  sailors  died,  a  ship  boy  sickened,  and  the  phy 
sician's  fever  increased  upon  him.  Diego  de  Arana  began 
to  fail.  The  ship's  master  came  at  supper  time  and  looked 
us  over.  "  Is  there  any  here  who  has  any  leechcraf t  ?  " 

Beltran  the  cook  said,  "  I  can  set  a  bone  and  wash  a 
wound ;  but  it  ends  there !  " 

Cried  Fernando  from  his  corner.  "  Is  the  plague  among 
us !  "  The  master  turned  on  him.  "  Here  and  now,  I  say 
five  lashes  for  the  man  who  says  that  word  again !  Has  any 
man  here  sense  about  a  plain  fever  ?  " 

None  else  speaking,  I  said  that  long  ago  I  had  studied 
for  a  time  with  a  leech,  and  that  I  was  somewhat  used  to 
care  of  the  sick.  "  Then  you  are  my  man !  "  quoth  the 
master,  and  forthwith  took  me  to  the  Admiral.  I  became 
Juan  Lepe,  the  physician. 

It  was,  I  held,  a  fever  received  while  wandering  through 
the  ravines  and  woods  of  Gomera.  Master  Bernardo  had 
in  his  cabin  drugs  and  tinctures,  and  we  breathed  now  all 
the  salt  of  Ocean-Sea,  and  the  ship  was  clean.  I  talked 
to  Beltran  the  cook  about  diet,  and  I  chose  Sancho  and  a 
man  that  I  liked,  one  Luis  Torres,  for  nurses.  Two  others 
sickened  this  night,  and  one  the  next  day,  but  none  after 
ward.  None  died;  in  ten  days  all  were  recovered.  Other 
ailments  aboard  I  doctored  also.  Don  Diego  de  Arana  was 
subject  to  fits  of  melancholy  with  twitchings  of  the  body.  I 
had  watched  Isaac  the  Physician  cure  such  things  as  this, 
and  now  I  followed  instruction.  I  put  my  hands  upon  the 
patient  and  I  strengthened  his  will  with  mine,  sending  into 
him  desire  for  health  and  perception  of  health.  His  inner 
man  caught  tune.  The  melancholy  left  him  and  did  not 
return.  Master  Bernardo  threw  off  the  fever,  sat  up  and 
moved  about.  But  he  was  still  weak,  and  still  I  tended  the 
others  for  him. 

The  Pinta  had  signaled  four  men  ill.  But  Garcia  Fer 
nandez,  the  Palos  physician,  was  there  with  Martin  Pinzon, 
and  the  sick  recovered.  The  Nina  had  no  doctor  and  now 

[72] 


she  came  near  to  the  Santa  Maria  and  sent  a  boat.  She  had 
five  sick  men  and  would  borrow  Bernardo  Nunez. 

The  Admiral  spoke  with  Nunez,  now  nearly  well.  Then 
the  physician  made  a  bundle  of  drugs  and  medicaments,  said 
farewell  to  all  and  kindly  enough  to  me,  and  rowed  away  to 
the  Nina.  He  was  a  friend  of  the  Pinzons,  and  above  the 
vanity  of  the  greater  ship.  The  sick  upon  the  Nina  prospered 
under  him. 

But  Juan  Lepe  was  taken  from  the  forecastle,  and  slept 
where  Nunez  had  slept,  and  had  his  place  at  the  table  in  the 
great  cabin.  He  turned  from  the  sailor  Juan  Lepe  to  the 
physician  Juan  Lepe,  becoming  "  Doctor "  and  "Senor." 
The  wheel  turns  and  a  man's  past  makes  his  present. 

A  few  days  from  Gomera,  an  hour  after  sunset,  the  night 
was  torn  by  the  hugest,  flaming,  falling  star  that  any  of  us 
had  ever  seen.  The  mass  drove  down  the  lower  skirt  of  the 
sky,  leaving  behind  it  a  wake  of  fire.  It  plunged  into  the 
sea.  There  is  no  sailor  but  knows  shooting  stars.  But  this 
was  a  hugely  great  one,  and  Ocean- Sea  very  lonely,  and  to 
most  there  our  errand  a  spectral  and  frightening  one.  It 
needed  both  the  Admiral  and  Fray  Ignatio  to  quell  the  panic. 

The  next  day  a  great  bird  like  a  crane  passed  over  the 
Santa  Maria.  It  came  from  Africa,  behind  us.  But  it  spoke 
of  land,  and  the  sailors  gazed  wistfully. 

This  day  I  entered  the  great  cabin  when  none  was  there 
but  the  Admiral,  and  again  he  sat  at  table  with  his  charts 
and  his  books.  He  asked  of  the  sick  and  I  answered. 
Again  he  sat  looking  through  open  door  and  window  at  blue 
water,  a  great  figure  of  a  man  with  a  great  head  and  face 
and  early-silvered  hair.  "  Do  you  know  aught,"  he  asked, 
"of  astrology?" 

I  answered  that  I  knew  a  little  of  the  surface  of  it. 

"  I  have  a  sense,"  he  said,  "  that  our  stars  are  akin,  yours 
and  mine.  I  felt  it  the  day  Granada  fell,  and  I  felt  it  on 
Cordova  road,  and  again  that  day  below  La  Rabida  when 
we  turned  the  corner  and  the  bells  rang  and  you  stood  be 
side  the  vineyard  wall.  Should  I  not  have  learned  in  more 

[73] 


than  fifty  years  to  know  a  man?  The  stars  are  akin  that 
will  endure  for  vision's  sake." 

I  said,  "  I  believe  that,  my  Admiral." 

He  sat  in  silence  for  a  moment,  then  drew  the  log  be 
tween  us  and  turned  several  pages  so  that  I  might  see 
the  reckoning.  "  We  have  come  well/'  I  said.  "  Yet  with 
so  fair  a  wind,  I  should  have  thought  —  " 

He  turned  the  leaves  till  he  rested  at  one  covered  with 
other  figures.  "  Here  it  is  as  it  truly  is,  and  where  we 
truly  are!  We  have  oversailed  all  that  the  first  show,  and 
so  many  leagues  besides." 

"  Two  records,  true  and  untrue !    Why  do  you  do  it  so  ?  " 

"  I  have  told  them  that  after  seven  hundred  leagues  we 
should  find  land.  Add  fifty  more  for  our  general  imper 
fection.  But  it  may  be  wider  than  I  think.  We  may  not 
come  even  to  some  fringing  island  in  eight  hundred  leagues, 
no,  nor  in  more  than  that !  If  it  be  a  thousand,  if  it  be  two 
thousand,  on  I  go !  But  after  the  seven  hundred  is  passed, 
it  will  be  hard  to  keep  them  in  hand.  So,  though  we  are 
covering  more,  I  let  them  think  we  are  covering  only  this." 

I  could  but  laugh.  Two  reckonings!  After  all,  he  was 
not  Italian  for  nothing ! 

"  The  master  knows,"  he  said,  "  and  also  Diego  de  Arana. 
But  at  least  one  other  should  know.  Two  might  drown  or 
perish  from  sickness.  I  myself  might  fall  sick  and  die, 
though  I  will  not  believe  it !  "  He  paused  a  moment,  then 
said,  looking  directly  at  me,  "  I  need  one  in  whom  I  can 
utterly  confide.  I  should  have  had  with  me  my  brother 
Bartholomew.  But  he  is  in  England.  A  man  going  to  seek 
a  Crown  Jewel  for  all  men  should  have  with  him  son  or 
brother.  Diego  de  Arana  is  a  kinsman  of  one  whom  I 
love,  and  he  partly  believes.  But  Roderigo  Sanchez  and  the 
others  believe  hardly  at  all.  There  is  Fray  Ignatio.  He 
believes,  and  I  confess  my  sins  to  him.  But  he  thinks  only 
of  penitents,  and  this  matter  needs  mind,  not  heart  alone. 
Because  of  that  sense  of  the  stars,  I  tell  you  these  things." 

The  next  day  it  came  to  me  that  in  that  Journal  which 

[74] 


he  meant  to  make  like  Caesar's  Commentaries,  he  might  put 
down  the  change  in  the  Santa  Maria's  physicians  and  set  my 
name  there  too  often.  I  watched  my  chance  and  finding  it, 
asked  that  he  name  me  not  in  that  book.  His  gray  eyes 
rested  upon  me ;  he  demanded  the  reason  for  that.  I  said  that 
in  Spain  I  was  in  danger,  and  that  Juan  Lepe  was  not  my 
name.  More  than  that  I  did  not  wish  to  say,  and  perchance 
it  were  wiser  for  him  not  to  know.  But  I  would  not  that  the 
powerful  should  mark  me  in  his  Journal  or  elsewhere ! 

Usually  his  eyes  were  wide  and  filled  with  light  as 
though  it  were  sent  into  them  from  the  vast  lands  that  he 
continuously  saw.  But  he  could  be  immediate  captain  and 
commander  of  things  and  of  men,  and  when  that  was  so, 
the  light  drew  into  a  point,  and  he  became  eagle  that  sees 
through  the  wave  the  fish.  Had  he  been  the  seer  alone, 
truly  he  might  have  been  the  seer  of  what  was  to  be  dis 
covered  and  might  have  set  others  upon  the  path.  But  he 
would  not  have  sailed  on  the  Santa  Maria! 

In  his  many  years  at  sea  he  must  many  times  have  met 
men  who  had  put  to  sea  out  of  fear  of  land.  He  would 
have  sailed  with  many  whose  names,  he  knew,  were  not 
those  given  them  at  birth.  He  must  have  learned  to  take  rea 
sons  for  granted  and  to  go  on  —  where  he  wished  to  go  on. 
So  we  gazed  at  each  other. 

"  I  had  written  down,"  he  said,  "  that  you  greatly  helped 
the  sick,  and  upon  Bernardo  Nunez's  going  to  the  Nina,  be 
came  our  physician.  But  I  will  write  no  more  of  you,  and 
that  written  will  pass  in  the  flood  of  things  to  come."  After 
a  moment,  he  ended  with  deliberation,  "  I  know  my  star  to 
be  a  great  star,  burning  long  and  now  with  a  mounting 
flame.  If  yours  is  in  any  wise  its  kin,  then  there  needs  must 
be  histories/' 


CHAPTER  XII 

IT  was  a  strange  thing  how  utterly  favoring  now  was  the 
wind!  It  blew  with  a  great  steady  push  always  from 
the  east,  and  always  we  ran  before  it  into  the  west. 
Day  after  day  we  experienced  this  warm  and  steadfast  driv 
ing;  day  after  day  we  never  shifted  sail.  The  rigging  sang 
a  steady  song,  day  and  night.  The  crowned  woman,  our 
figurehead,  ran,  light-footed,  over  a  green  and  blue  plain, 
and  where  the  plain  ended  no  man  might  know !  "  Perhaps 
it  does  not  end !  "  said  the  mariners. 

Of  the  hidalgos  aboard  I  like  best  Diego  de  Arana  who 
had  cast  off  his  melancholy.  He  was  a  man  of  sense,  candid 
and  brave.  Roderigo  Sanchez  sat  and  moved  a  dull,  good 
man.  Roderigo  de  Escobedo  had  courage,  but  he  was  fac 
tious,  would  take  sides  against  his  shadow  if  none  other 
were  there.  Pedro  Gutierrez  had  been  a  courtier,  and  had 
the  vices  of  that  life,  together  with  a  daredevil  recklessness 
and  a  kind  of  wild  wit.  I  had  liking  and  admiration  for 
Fray  Ignatio,  but  careful  indeed  was  I  when  I  spoke  with 
him! 

The  wind  blew  unchanging,  the  stark  blue  shield  of  sea,  a 
water-world,  must  be  taken  in  the  whole,  for  there  was  no 
contrasting  point  in  it  to  catch  the  eye.  Sancho,  forward, 
in  a  high  sweet  voice  like  a  jongleur's  voice,  was  singing  to 
the  men  an  endless  ballad.  Upon  the  poop  deck  Esco 
bedo  and  Gutierrez,  having  diced  themselves  to  an  even  wealth 
or  poverty,  turned  to  further  examination  of  the  Admiral's 
ways.  Endlessly  they  made  him  and  his  views  subject  of 
talk.  Roderigo  Sanchez  listened  with  a  face  like  an  owl, 

[76] 


Diego  de  Arana  with  some  irony  about  his  lips.  I  came  and 
stood  beside  the  latter. 

They  were  upon  the  beggary  of  Christopherus  Columbus. 
"  How  did  the  Prior  of  La  Rabida—  ?  " 

"  I'll  tell  you,  for  I  heard  it.  One  evening  at  vesper 
bell  comes  our  Admiral  —  no  less  a  man !  —  to  Priory  gate 
with  a  young  boy  in  his  hand.  Not  Fernando  his  love-child, 
but  Diego  the  elder,  who  was  born  in  Lisbon.  All  dusty 
with  the  road,  like  any  beggar  you  see,  and  not  much  better 
clad,  foot-sore  and  begging  bread  for  himself  and  the  boy. 
And  because  of  his  white  hair,  and  because  he  carried  him 
self  in  that  absurd  way  that  makes  the  undiscerning  cry, 
'  Ah,  my  lord  king  in  disguise !  *  the  porter  must  have  him 
in,  and  by  and  by  comes  the  prior  and  stands  to  talk  with 
him,  *  From  where  ?  '  '  From  Cordova/  *  Whither  ?  '  '  To 
Portugal/  '  For  why?  '  '  To  speak  again  with  King  John/ 
'  Are  you  in  the  habit  of  speaking  with  kings  ? '  '  Aye,  I 
am ! '  '  About  what,  may  I  ask  ?  '  • '  About  the  rinding  of 
India  by  way  of  Ocean-Sea,  the  possession  of  idolatrous 
countries  and  the  great  wealth  thereof,  and  the  taking  of 
Christ  to  the  heathen  who  else  are  lost ! ' " 

"  Ha,  ha !     Ha,  ha !  "    This  was  Escobedo. 

"  The  prior  thinks,  '  This  is  an  interesting  madman/  And 
being  a  charitable  good  man  and  lacking  entertainment  that 
evening,  he  brings  the  beggar  in  to  supper  and  sits  by  him." 

Roderigo  Sanchez  opened  his  mouth.  "  All  Andalusia 
knows  Fray  Juan  Perez  is  a  kind  of  visionary !  " 

"  Aye,  like  to  like !  '  Have  you  been  to  our  Queen  and 
the  King  ?  '  '  Aye,  I  have ! '  saith  the  beggar,  '  but  they  are 
warring  with  the  Moors  and  will  pull  Granada  down  and 
do  not  see  the  greater  glory ! ' : 

All  laughed  at  that,  and  indeed  Gutierrez  could  mimic  to 
perfection.  We  got,  full  measure,  the  beggar's  loftiness. 

"  So  the  siren  sings  and  the  prior  leaps  to  meet  her,  or 
tarantula  stings  him  and  he  dances !  '  I  am  growing  mad 
too/  thinks  Fray  Juan  Perez,  and  begins  presently  to  tell 
that  last  week  he  dreamed  of  Prester  John.  The  end  is 

[77] 


that  he  and  the  beggar  talk  till  midnight  and  the  next  morn 
ing  they  talk  again,  and  the  prior  sends  for  his  friends 
Captain  Martin  Alonzo  Pinzon  and  the  physician  Garcia 
Fernandez.  The  beggar  gains  them  all !  " 

"  Do  you  think  a  beggar  can  do  that  ?  "  I  said.  "  Only  a 
giver  can  do  that." 

Pedro  Gutierrez  turned  black  eyes  upon  Juan  Lepe,  whom 
he  resented  there  on  the  poop  deck.  "  How  could  you  have 
learned  so  much,  Doctor,  while  you  were  making  sail  and 
washing  ship  ?  "  He  was  my  younger  in  every  way,  and  I 
answered  equably,  "  I  learned  in  the  same  way  that  the  Ad 
miral  learned  while  he  begged." 

"  Touched !  "  said  Diego  de  Arana.  "  So  that  is  the  way 
the  prior  came  into  the  business?" 

"  He  enters  with  such  vigor,"  said  Gutierrez,  "  that  what 
does  he  do  but  write  an  impassioned  letter  to  the  Queen, 
having  long  ago,  for  a  time,  been  her  confessor?  What  he 
tells  her,  God  knows,  but  it  seems  that  it  changes  the  world ! 
She  answers  that  for  herself  she  hath  grieved  for  Master 
Columbus's  departure  from  the  court  and  the  realm,  and 
that  if  he  will  turn  and  come  to  Santa  Fe,  his  propositions 
shall  at  last  be  thoroughly  weighed.  Letter  finds  the  beggar 
with  his  boy  honored  guest  of  La  Rabida,  touching  heads 
with  Martin  Pinzon  over  maps  and  charts  and  the  *  Book 
of  Travels  *  of  Messer  Marco  Polo.  There  is  great  joy ! 
The  beggar  hath  the  prior's  own  mule  and  his  son  a  jennet, 
and  here  we  go  to  Santa  Fe !  That  was  last  year.  Now  the 
boy  that  whimpered  for  bread  at  convent  gate  is  Don  Diego 
Colon,  page  to  Prince  Juan,  and  the  Viceroy  sails  on  the 
Santa  Maria  for  the  countries  he  will  administer !  " 

Gutierrez  shook  the  dice  in  the  box.  "  Oh,  -  Queen  Luck, 
that  I  have  served  for  so  long!  Why  do  you  not  make  me 
viceroy  ?  " 

Said  Escobedo,  "Viceroy  of  the  continent  of  water  and 
Admiral  of  seaweed  and  fishes !  " 

Diego  de  Arana  took  that  up.  "  We  are  obliged  to  find 
something !  No  sensible  man  can  think  like  some  of  those 

[78] 


forward  that  this  goes  on  forever  and  we  shall  sail  till  the 
wood  rots  and  sails  grow  ragged  and  wind  carries  away  their 
shreds  or  they  fall  into  dust !  " 

"Who  knows  anything  of  River-Ocean?  We  may  not 
find  the  western  shore,  if  there  be  such  a  thing,  for  a  year! 
By  that  time  storm  will  sink  us  ten  times  over,  or  plague 
will  take  us  —  " 

"  There's  not  needed  plague  nor  storm.  Just  say,  food 
won't  last,  and  water  is  already  half  gone !  " 

"  That's  the  undeniable  truth,"  quoth  Roderigo  Sanchez, 
and  looked  with  a  perturbed  face  at  the  too-smooth  sea. 

Smooth  blue  sea  continued,  wind  continued,  pushing  like 
a  great,  warm  hand,  east  to  west.  The  Admiral  spent  hours 
alone  in  his  sleeping  cabin.  There  were  men  who  said  that 
he  studied  there  a  great  book  of  magic.  He  had  often  a 
book  in  his  hand,  it  is  true,  but  Juan  Lepe  the  physician 
knew  what  he  strove  to  keep  from  others,  that  the  gout  that 
at  times  threatened  crippling  was  upon  him  and  was  easier 
to  bear  lying  down. 

Sunset,  vesper  prayer  and  Salve  Regina.  As  the  strains 
died,  there  became  evident  a  lingering  on  the  part  of  the 
seamen.  The  master  spoke  to  the  Admiral.  "  They've  found 
out  about  the  needle,  sir!  Perhaps  you'd  better  hear  them 
and  answer  them." 

Almost  every  day  he  heard  them  and  answered  them. 
To  make  his  seamen,  however  they  groaned  and  grumbled 
and  plotted,  yet  abide  him  and  his  purpose  was  a  day-after- 
day  arising  task !  Now  he  said  equably,  in  the  tone  almost 
of  a  father,  "What  is  it  to-day,  men?" 

The  throng  worked  and  put  forward  a  spokesman,  who 
looked  from  the  Admiral  to  the  clear  north.  "  It  is  the  star, 
sir!  The  needle  no  longer  points  to  it!  We  thought  you 
might  explain  to  us  unlearned  —  What  we  think  is  that  dis 
tance  is  going  to  widen  and  widen !  What's  to  keep  needle 
from  swinging  right  south?  Then  will  we  never  get  home 
to  Palos  and  our  wives  and  children  —  never  and  never  and 
never ! " 


149Q 


Said  the  Admiral,  "  It  will  not  change  further,  or  if  it 
does  a  very  little  further ! "  In  his  most  decisive,  most  con 
vincing  voice  he  explained  why  the  needle  no  longer  pointed 
precisely  to  the  star.  The  deviation  marked  and  allowed 
for,  it  was  near  enough  for  practical  purposes,  and  the 
reasons  for  the  wandering  — 

I  do  not  know  if  the  wisdom  of  our  descendants  will  con 
firm  his  explanation.  It  is  so  often  to  explain  the  explana 
tion!  But  one  as  well  as  another  might  do  here.  What 
the  Santa  Maria  wanted  was  reassurance,  general  and  large, 
stretching  from  the  Canaries  to  India  and  Cathay  and  back 
again.  He  knew  that,  and  after  no  great  time  spent  with 
compass  needle  and  circularly  traveling  polar  star,  he  began 
to  talk  gold  and  estate,  and  the  pearls  and  silk  and  spices 
they  would  surely  take  for  gifts  to  their  family  and  neigh 
bors,  Palos  or  Huelva  or  Fishertown! 

It  was  truly  the  hope  that  upheld  many  on  a  voyage  that 
they  chose  to  think  a  witches'  one.  He  talked  now  out  of 
Marco  Polo  and  he  clad  what  that  traveler  had  said  in  more 
gorgeous  attire.  He  meant  nothing  false ;  his  exalted  imagi 
nation  saw  it  so.  He  was  painter  of  great  pageants,  height 
ening  and  remodeling,  deepening  and  purifying  colors,  mak 
ing  humdrum  and  workaday  over  to  his  heart's  desire.  The 
Venetian  in  his  book,  and  other  travelers  in  their  books,  had 
related  wonders  enough.  These  grew  with  him,  it  might  be 
said — >and  indeed  in  his  lifetime  was  often  said  —  into 
wonders  without  a  foot  upon  earth.  But  if  one  took  as 
figures  and  symbols  his  gold  roofs  and  platters,  temples  and 
gardens,  every  man  a  merchant  in  silks  and  spices,  strange 
fruit-dropping  trees  and  pearls  in  carcanets,  the  Grand  Khan 
and  Prester  John  —  who  could  say  that  in  the  long,  patient 
life  of  Time  the  Admiral  was  over-esteeming?  The  pity 
of  it  was  that  most  here  could  not  live  in  great  lengths  of 
time.  They  wanted  riches  now,  now!  And  they  wanted 
only  one  kind  of  riches;  here  and  now,  or  at  the  most  in 
another  month,  in  the  hands  and  laps  of  Pedro  and  Fernando 
and  Diego. 

[80] 


CHAPTER  XIII 

THERE  grew  at  times  an  excited  feeling  that  he  was  a 
prophet,  and  that  there  were  fabulously  great  things 
before  us.  As  I  doctored  some  small  ill  one  day  in 
the  forecastle,  a  great  fellow  named  Francisco  from  Huelva 
would  tell  me  his  dream  of  the  night  before.  He  had  already 
told  it,  it  seemed,  to  all  who  would  listen,  and  now  again  he 
had  considerable  audience,  crowding  at  the  door.  He  said 
that  he  dreamed  he  was  in  Cipango.  At  first  he  thought  it 
was  heaven,  but  when  he  saw  golden  roofs  he  knew  it  must 
be  Cipango,  for  in  heaven  where  it  never  rained  and  there 
were  no  nights,  we  shouldn't  need  roofs.  One  interrupted, 
"  We'd  need  them  to  keep  the  flying  angels  from  looking 
in!" 

"  It  was  Cipango,"  persisted  Francisco,  "  for  the  Emperor 
himself  came  and  gave  me  a  rope  of  pearls.  There  were 
five  thousand  of  them,  and  each  would  buy  a  house  or  a 
fine  horse  or  a  suit  of  velvet.  And  the  Emperor  took  me  by 
the  hand,  and  he  said,  t  Dear  Brother  — '  You  might  have 
thought  I  was  a  king  —  and  by  the  mass,  I  was  a  king! 
I  felt  it  right  away!  And  then  he  took  me  into  a  garden, 
and  there  were  three  beautiful  women,  and  one  of  them 
would  push  me  to  the  other,  and  that  one  to  the  third,  and 
that  to  the  first  again,  as  though  they  were  playing  ball, 
and  they  all  laughed,  and  I  laughed.  Then  there  came  a 
great  person  with  five  crowns  on  his  head,  and  all  the  light 
blazed  up  gold  and  blue,  and  somebody  said,  '  It's  Prester 
John '  \  " 

[81] 


His  dream  kept  a  two-days'  serenity  upon  the  ship.  It 
came  to  the  ear  of  the  Admiral,  who  said,  "  *  In  dreams  will 
I  instruct  thee.'  —  I  have  had  dreams  far  statelier  than 
his." 

Pedro  Gutierrez  too  began  to  dream, —  fantastic  things 
which  he  told  with  an  idle  gusto.  They  were  of  wine  and  gold 
and  women,  though  often  these  were  to  be  guessed  through 
strange,  jumbled  masks  and  phantasies.  "  Those  are  ill 
dreams,"  said  the  Admiral.  "  Dream  straight  and  high ! " 
Fray  Ignatio,  too,  said  wisely,  "  It  is  not  always  God  who 
cometh  in  dreams !  " 

But  the  images  of  Gutierrez's  dreams  seemed  to  him  to 
be  seated  in  Cathay  and  India.  They  bred  in  him  belief 
that  he  was  coming  to  happiness  by  that  sea  road  that 
glistered  before  us.  He  and  Roderigo  de  Escobedo  began 
to  talk  with  assurance  of  what  they  should  find.  Having 
small  knowledge  of  travelers'  tales  they  made  application 
to  the  Admiral  who,  nothing  loth,  answered  them  out  of 
Marco  Polo,  Mandeville  and  Pedro  de  Aliaco. 

But  the  ardor  of  his  mind  was  such  that  he  outwent  his 
authors.  Where  the  Venetian  said  "  gold "  the  Genoese 
said  "  Much  gold."  Where  the  one  saw  powerful  peoples 
with  their  own  customs,  courts,  armies,  temples,  ships  and 
trade,  the  other  gave  to  these  an  unearthly  tinge  of  splendor. 
Often  as  he  sat  in  cabin  or  on  deck,  or  rising  paced  to  and 
fro,  we  who  listened  to  his  account,  listened  to  poet  and 
enthusiast  speaking  of  earths  to  come.  Besides  books  like 
those  of  Marco  Polo  and  John  Mandeville  and  the  Bishop 
of  Cambrai  he  had  studied  philosophers  and  the  ancients  and 
Scripture  and  the  Fathers.  He  spoke  unwaveringly  of 
prophecies,  explicit  and  many,  of  his  voyage,  and  the  round 
ing  out  of  earth  by  him,  Christopherus  Columbus.  More 
than  once  or  twice,  in  the  great  cabin,  beneath  the  swinging 
lantern,  he  repeated  to  us  such  passages,  his  voice  making 
great  poetry  of  old  words.  "  Averroes  saith  —  Albertus 
Magnus  saith  —  Aristotle  saith  —  Seneca  saith  —  Saint  Au 
gustine  saith  —  Esdras  in  his  fourth  book  saith  —  "  Salt  air 

[82] 


sweeping  through  seemed  to  fall  into  a  deep,  musical  beat 
and  rhythm.  "After  the  council  at  Salamanca  when  great 
churchmen  cried  I r religion  and  even  Heresy  upon  me,  I 
searched  all  Scripture  and  drew  testimony  together.  In 
fifty,  yea,  in  a  hundred  places  it  is  plain !  King  David  saith 
—  Job  saith  —  Moses  saith  —  Thus  it  reads  in  Genesis  —  " 

Diego  de  Arana  smote  the  table  with  his  hand.  "  I  am 
yours,  Senor,  to  find  for  the  Lord !  "  Fray  Ignatio  lifted 
dark  eyes.  "  I  well  believe  that  nothing  happens  but  what  is 
chosen !  I  will  tell  you  that  in  my  cell  at  La  Rabida  I  heard 
a  cry,  '  Come  over,  Ignatio  the  Franciscan ! '  " 

And  I,  listening,  thought,  "  Not  perhaps  that  ancient 
spiritual  singing  of  spiritual  things !  But  in  truth,  yes,  it 
is  chosen.  Did  not  the  Whole  of  Me  that  I  can  so  dimly 
feel  set  my  foot  upon  this  ship  ?  "  And  going  out  on  deck 
before  I  slept,  I  looked  at  the  stars  and  thought  that  we 
were  like  the  infant  in  the  womb  that  knows  not  how  nor 
where  it  is  carried. 

We  might  be  four  hundred  leagues  from  Spain.  Still 
the  wind  drove  us,  still  we  hardly  shifted  canvas,  still  the 
sky  spread  clear,  of  a  vast  blue  depth,  and  the  blue  glass 
plain  of  the  sea  lay  beneath.  It  was  too  smooth,  the  wind 
in  our  rigging  too  changeless  of  tune.  At  last,  all  would 
have  had  variety  spring.  There  began  a  veritable  hunger 
for  some  change,  and  it  was  possible  to  feel  a  faint  horror. 
What  if  this  is  the  horror  —  to  go  on  forever  and  ever  like 
this? 

Then  one  morning  when  the  sun  rose,  it  lit  a  novel  thing. 
Seaweed  or  grass  or  herbage  of  some  sort  was  afloat  about 
us.  Far  as  the  eye  might  reach  it  was  like  a  drowned 
meadow,  vari-colored,  awash.  All  that  day  we  watched  it. 
It  came  toward  us  from  the  west;  we  ran  through  it  from 
the  east.  Now  it  thinned  away;  now  it  thickened  until  it 
seemed  that  the  sea  was  strewn  with  rushes  like  a  castle 
floor.  With  oars  we  caught  and  brought  into  ship  wreaths 
of  it.  All  night  we  sailed  in  this  strange  plain.  A  yellow 
dawn  showed  it  still  on  either  side  the  Santa  Maria,  and 

[83] 


1490 


thicker,  with  fewer  blue  sea  straits  and  passes  than  on  yes 
terday.  The  Pint  a  and  the  Nina  stood  out  with  a  strange, 
enchanted  look,  as  ships  crossing  a  plain  more  vast  than  the 
plain  of  Andalusia.  Still  that  floating  weed  thickened.  The 
crowned  woman  at  our  prow  pushed  swathes  of  it  to  either 
side.  Our  mariners  hung  over  rail,  talking,  talking.  "  What 
is  it  —  and  where  will  it  end  ?  Mayhap  presently  we  can 
not  plough  it !  " 

It  was  again  and  again  to  admire  how  for  forty  years 
he  had  stored  sea-knowledge.  It  was  not  only  what  those 
gray  eyes  had  seen,  or  those  rather  large,  well  molded  ears 
had  heard,  or  that  powerful  and  nervous  hand  had  touched. 
But  he  knew  how  to  take,  right  and  left,  knowledge  that 
others  gathered,  as  he  knew  that  others  took  and  would 
take  what  he  gathered.  He  knew  that  knowledge  flows. 
Now  he  stood  and  told  that  no  less  a  man  than  Aristotle 
had  recorded  such  a  happening  as  this.  Certain  ships  of 
Gades  —  that  is  our  Cadiz  —  driven  by  a  great  wind  far 
into  River-Ocean,  met  these  weeds  or  others  like  them, 
distant  parents  of  these.  They  were  like  floating  islands 
forever  changing  shape,  and  those  old  ships  sailed  among 
them  for  a  while.  They  thought  they  must  have  broken 
from  sea  floor  and  risen  to  surface,  and  currents  brought 
other  masses  from  land.  Tunny  fish  were  caught  among 
them. 

And  that  very  moment,  as  the  endless  possibilities  of 
things  would  have  it,  one,  leaning  on  the  rail,  cried  out 
that  there  were  tunnies.  We  all  looked  and  saw  them  in  a 
clear  canal  between  two  floating  masses.  It  brought  the 
Admiral  credence.  "  Look  you  all !  "  he  said,  "  how  most 
things  have  been  seen  before !  " 

"But  Father  Aristotle's  ship  —  Was  he  'Saint*  or 
1  Father'  ?" 

"  He  was  a  heathen  —  he  believed  in  Mahound." 
"  No,  he  lived  before  Mahound.    He  was  a  wise  man  —  " 
"  But  his  ships  turned  back  to  Cadiz.    They  were  afraid 
of  this  stuff  —  that's  the  point!" 

[84] 


14pQ 


"  They  turned  back,"  said  the  Admiral.  "  And  the  splen 
dor  and  the  gold  were  kept  for  us." 

A  thicker  carpet  of  the  stuff  brushed  ship  side.  One  of 
the  boys  cried,  "  Ho,  there  is  a  crab !  "  It  sat  indeed  on  a 
criss-cross  of  broken  reeds,  and  it  seemed  to  stare  at  us 
solemnly.  "  Do  not  all  see  that  it  came  from  land,  and  land 
to  the  west?" 

"  But  it  is  caught  here!  What  if  we  are  caught  here  too? 
These  weeds  may  stem  us  —  turn  great  crab  pincers  and 
hold  us  till  we  rot !  " 

"If  — and  if  — and  if!"  cried  the  Admiral.  "For 
Christ,  His  sake,  laugh  at  yourselves !  " 

On,  on,  we  went  before  that  warm  and  potent  wind,  so 
steadfast  that  there  must  be  controlling  it  some  natural  law. 
Ocean-Sea  spread  around,  with  that  weed  like  a  marsh  at 
springtide.  Then,  suddenly,  just  as  the  murmuring  faction 
was  murmuring  again,  we  cleared  all  that.  Open  sea,  blue 
running  ocean,  endlessly  endless ! 

The  too-steady  sunshine  vanished.  There  broke  a  cloudy 
dawn  followed  by  light  rain.  It  ceased  'and  the  sky  cleared. 
But  in  the  north  held  a  mist  and  a  kind  of  semblance  of  far- 
off  mountains.  Startled,  a  man  cried  "  Land/  "  but  the  next 
moment  showed  that  it  was  cloud.  Yet  all  day  the  mist  hung 
in  this  quarter.  The  Pinta  approached  and  signaled,  and 
presently  over  to  us  put  her  boat,  in  it  Martin  Pinzon.  The 
Admiral  met  him  as  he  came  up  over  side  and  would  have 
taken  him  into  great  cabin.  But,  no  !  Martin  Pinzon  always 
spoke  out,  before  everybody !  "  Senor,  there  is  land  yonder, 
under  the  north!  Should  not  we  change  course  and  see 
what  is  there?" 

"  It  is  cloud,"  answered  the  Admiral.  "  Though  I  do  not 
deny  that  such  a  haze  may  be  crying,  *  Land  behind ! '  " 

"  Let  us  sail  then  north,  and  see !  " 

But  the  Admiral  shook  his  head.  "  No,  Captain !  West 
—  west  —  arrow  straight !  " 

Pinzon  appeared  about  to  say,  "  You  are  very  wrong, 
and  we  should  see  what's  behind  that  arras !  '*  But  he 

[85] 


149Q 


checked  himself,  standing  before  Admiral  and  Don  and  Vice 
roy,  and  all  those  listening  faces  around.  "  I  still  think  —  " 
he  began. 

The  other  took  him  up,  but  kept  considerate,  almost  de 
ferring  manner.  "Yes,  if  we  had  time  or  ships  to  spare! 
But  now  it  is,  do  not  stray  from  the  path.  Sail  straight 
west!" 

"  We  are  five  hundred  leagues  from  Palos." 

"  Less  than  that,  by  our  reckoning.  The  further  from 
Palos,  the  nearer  India !  " 

"  We  may  be  passing  by  our  salvation !  " 

"  Our  salvation  lies  in  going  as  we  set  forth  to  go."  He 
made  his  gesture  of  dismissal  of  that,  and  asked  after  the 
health  of  the  Pinta.  The  health  held,  but  the  stores  were 
growing  low.  Biscuit  enough,  but  bacon  almost  out,  and 
not  so  many  measures  of  beans  left.  Oil,  too,  approached 
bottom  of  jars.  The  Nina  was  in  the  same  case." 

"  Food  and  water  will  last,"  said  the  Admiral.  "  We  have 
not  come  so  far  without  safely  going  farther." 

Martin  Alonso  Pinzon  was  the  younger  man  and  but 
captain  of  the  Pinta,  while  the  other  stood  Don  and  Admi 
ral,  appointed  by  Majesty,  responsible  only  to  the  Crown. 
But  he  had  been  Master  Christopherus  the  dreamer,  who 
was  shabbily  dressed,  owed  money,  almost  begged.  He 
owed  large  money  now  to  Martin  Pinzon.  But  for  the  Pin- 
zons,  he  could  hardly  have  sailed.  He  should  listen  now, 
take  good  advice,  that  was  clearly  what  the  captain  of  the 
Pinta  thought !  Undoubtedly  Master  Christopherus  dreamed 
true  to  a  certain  point,  but  after  that  was  not  so  f ollowable ! 
As  for  Cristoforo  Colombo,  Italian  shipmaster,  he  had,  it 
was  true,  old  sea  wisdom.  But  Martin  Pinzon  thought 
Martin  Pinzon  was  as  good  there !  —  Captain  Martin  Alonso 
said  good-by  with  some  haughtiness  and  went  stiffly  back 
over  blue  sea  to  the  Pinta. 

The  sun  descended,  the  sea  grew  violet,  all  we  on  the 
Santa  Maria  gathered  for  vesper  prayer  and  song.  Fray 
Ignatio's  robe  and  back-thrown  cowl  burned  brown  against 

[86] 


149Q 


the  sea  and  the  sail.  One  last  broad  gold  shaft  lighted  the 
tall  Admiral,  his  thick  white  hair,  his  eagle  nose,  his  strong 
mouth.  Diego  de  Arana  was  big,  alert  and  soldierly ;  Rode- 
rigo  Sanchez  had  the  look  of  alcalde  through  half  a  life 
time.  I  had  seen  Roderigo  de  Escobedo's  like  in  dark  streets 
in  France  and  Italy  and  Castile,  and  Pedro  Gutierrez  wher 
ever  was  a  court.  Juan  de  la  Cosa,  the  master,  stood  a 
keen  man,  thin  as  a  string.  Out  of  the  crowd  of  mariners 
I  pick  Sancho  and  Beltran  the  cook,  Ruiz  the  pilot,  William 
the  Irishman  and  Arthur  the  Englishman,  and  two  or  three 
others.  And  Luis  Torres.  The  latter  was  a  thinker,  and 
a  Jew  in  blood.  He  carried  it  in  his  face,  considerably 
more  markedly  than  I  carried  my  grandmother  Judith.  But 
his  family  had  been  Christian  for  a  hundred  years.  Before 
I  left  forecastle  for  poop  I  had  discovered  that  he  was 
learned.  Why  he  had  turned  sailor  I  did  not  then  know, 
but  afterwards  found  that  it  was  for  disappointed  love.  He 
knew  Arabic  and  Hebrew,  Aristotle  and  Averroes,  and  he 
had  a  dry  curiosity  and  zest  for  life  that  made  for  him  the 
wonder  of  this  voyage  far  outweigh  the  danger. 

There  was  a  hymn  that  Fray  Ignatio  taught  us  and  that 
we  sang  at  times,  beside  the  Latin  chant.  He  said  that  a 
brother  of  his  convent  had  written  it  and  set  it  to  music. 

Thou  that  art  above  us, 

Around  us,  beneath  us, 

Thou  who  art  within  us, 

Save  us  on  this  sea! 

Out  of  danger, 

Teach  us  how  we  may 

Serve  thee  acceptably! 

Teach  us  how  we  may 

Crown  ourselves,  crowning  Thee! 

Beltran  the  cook's  voice  was  the  best,  and  after  him 
Sancho,  and  then  a  sailor  with  a  great  bass,  William  the 
Irishman.  Fray  Ignatio  sang  like  a  good  monk,  and  Pedro 

[87] 


149Q 


Gutierrez  like  a  troubadour  of  no  great  weight.  The  Ad 
miral  sang  with  a  powerful  and  what  had  once  been  a  sweet 
voice.  Currents  and  eddies  of  sweetness  marked  it  still. 
All  sang  and  it  made  together  a  great  and  pleasurable 
sound,  rolling  over  the  sea  to  the  Pint  a  and  the  Nina,  and 
so  their  singing,  somewhat  less  in  volume,  came  to  us.  All 
grew  dusk,  the  ships  were  bat  wings  sailing  low;  out  sprang 
the  star  to  which  the  needle  no  longer  pointed.  The  great 
star  Venus  hung  in  the  west  like  the  lantern  of  some  ghostly 
air  ship,  very  vast. 

Thou  that  art  above  us, 
Around  us,  beneath  us, 
Thou  that  art  within  us, 
Save  us  on  this  sea! 


[88] 


CHAPTER  XIV 

WE  were  a  long,  long  way  from  Spain.     A  flight  of. 
birds  went  over  us.    They  were  flying  too  high  for 
distinguishing,  but  we  did  not  hold  them  to  be  sea 
birds.    We  sounded,  but  the  lead  touched  no  bottom.    West 
and  west  and  west,  pushed  by  that  wind !    Late  September, 
and  we  had  left  Palos  the  third  of  August. 

The  wind  shifted  and  became  contrary.  The  sea  that 
for  so  long  had  been  glassy  smooth  took  on  a  roughness. 
A  bird  that  was  surely  a  forest  bird  beaten  to  us  perched 
upon  a  stretched  rope  and  uttered  three  quick  cries.  A 
boy  climbed  and  softly  took  it  from  behind.  It  fluttered  in 
the  Admiral's  two  hands.  All  came  to  look.  Its  plumage 
was  blue,  its  breast  reddish.  We  wondered,  but  before  we 
could  make  it  a  cage,  it  strongly  strove  and  was  gone.  One 
flash  and  all  the  azure  took  it  to  .itself. 

In  the  night  the  waves  flattened.  Rose-dawn  showed 
smooth  sea  and  every  sail  filled  again  with  that  westward 
journeying  wind.  Yesterday's  roughness  and  the  bird  tossed 
aboard  were  as  a  dream. 

A  day  and  a  day  and  a  day.  As  much  Ocean-Sea  as  ever, 
and  Asia  a  lie,  and  alike  at  this  end  and  that  of  the 
vessel  a  dull  despondency,  and  Pedro  Gutierrez's  wit  grown 
ugly.  So  naked,  so  lonely,  so  indifferent  spread  the  Sea 
of  Darkness! 

Another  day  and  another  and  another.  When  half  the 
ship  was  at  the  point  of  mutiny  signs  reappeared  and  thick 
ened.  Birds  flew  over  the  ships;  one  perched  beside  the 
Admiral's  banner  and  sang.  More  than  that,  a  wood  dove 

[89] 


came  upon  the  deck  and  ate  corn  that  was  strewed  for  it. 
"  Colombo  —  Colombo !  "  quoth  the  Admiral.  "  I,  too,  am 
'  dove/  '  And  he  opened  a  window  and  sent  forth  a  "  dove  " 
to  find  if  there  were  land!'" 

Almost  the  whole  ship  from  Jason  down  took  these  two 
birds  for  portents.  Fray  Ignatio  lifted  hands.  "  The 
Blessed  Francis  who  knew  that  birds  have  souls  to  save 
hath  sent  them !  "  We  passed  the  drifting  branch  of  a 
tree.  It  had  green  leaves.  The  sea  ran  extremely  blue  and 
.clear,  and  half  the  ship  thought  they  smelled  frankincense, 
brought  on  the  winds  which  now  were  changeable.  At  even 
ing  rose  a  great  cry  of  "  Land !  "  and  indeed  to  one  side  the 
sinking  sun  seemed  veritable  cliffs  with  a  single  mountain 
peak.  The  Admiral,  who  knew  more  of  sea  and  air  than 
any  two  men  upon  those  ships,  cried  "Cloud  —  cloud!" 
but  for  a  time  none  believed  him.  There  sprang  great  com 
motion,  the  Pinta  too  signaling.  Then  before  our  eyes 
came  a  rift  in  the  mountain  and  the  cliffs  slipped  into  the  sea. 

But  now  all  believed  in  land  ahead.  It  was  as  though 
some  one  had  with  laughter  tossed  them  that  assurance  over 
the  horizon  straight  before  us.  Every  mariner  now  was 
emulous  to  be  the  lookout,  every  man  kept  eyes  on  the  west. 
Now  sprang  clear  and  real  to  them  the  royal  promise  of 
ten  thousand  maravedies  .pension  to  him  who  first  sighted 
Cipango,  Cathay  or  India.  The  Admiral  added  a  prize  of  a 
green  velvet  doublet. 

We  had  come  nigh  eight  hundred  leagues. 

In  the  cabin,  upon  the  table  he  spread  Toscanelli's  map, 
and  beside  it  a  great  one  like  it,  of  his  own  making,  signed 
in  the  corner  Columbus  de  Terra  Rubra.  The  depiction  was 
of  a  circle,  and  in  the  right  or  eastern  side  showed  the  coasts 
of  Ireland  and  England,  France,  Spain  and  Portugal,  and 
of  Africa  that  portion  of  which  anything  was  known.  Out 
in  Ocean  appeared  the  islands  gained  in  and  since  Prince 
Henry's  day.  Their  names  were  written,  —  Madeira,  Ca- 
naria,  Cape  de  Verde  and  Azores.  West  of  these  and  filling 
the  middle  map  came  Ocean-Sea,  an  open  parchment  field 

[90] 


save  for  here  a  picture  of  a  great  fish,  and  here  a  siren  and 
here  Triton,  and  here  the  Island  of  the  Seven  Cities  and  here 
Saint  Brandon's  Isle,  and  these  none  knew  if  they  be  real 
or  magical !  Wide  middle  map  and  River-Ocean !  The  eye 
quitting  that  great  void  approached  the  left  or  western  side 
of  the  circle.  And  now  again  began  islands  great  and  small 
with  legends  written  across  and  around  them.  The  great 
island  was  Cipango,  and  across  the  extent  of  it  ran  in  fine 
lettering.  "  Marco  Polo  was  here.  It  is  the  richest  of  the 
eastern  lands.  The  houses  are  roofed  with  gold.  The  people 
are  idolaters.  There  are  spices  and  pearls,  nutmegs,  pepper 
and  precious  stones.  Very  much  gold  so  that  the  common 
people  use  it  as  they  wish." 

We  read,  the  Admiral  seated,  we,  the  great  cabin  group, 
standing,  bending  over  the  table.  After  the  islands  came 
mainland.  "  Cathay "  ran  the  writing.  "  Mangi.  Here 
is  the  seat  of  the  Great  Khan.  His  city  is  Cambalu."  South 
of  all  this  ran  other  drawings  and  other  legends.  "  Here, 
opposite  Africa,  near  the  equator,  are  islands  called  Manillas. 
They  have  lodestone,  so  that  no  ship  with  iron  can  sail  to 
them.  Here  is  Java  of  all  the  spices.  Here  is  great  India 
that  the  ancients  knew." 

"  We  are  bearing  toward  Cipango,"  said  the  Admiral.  "  I 
look  first  for  small  outward  islands,  where  perhaps  the  folk 
are  uncouth  and  simple,  and  there  is  little  gold." 

And  again  days  passed.  When  many  times  upon  the 
Santa  Maria  and  as  often  on  the  Pint  a  and  the  Nina  some 
one  had  cried  "  Land !  "  and  the  ships  been  put  in  commo 
tion  and  the  land  melted  into  air  before  our  eyes,  and  an 
other  as  plausible  island  or  coast  formed  before  us  only  to 
vanish,  despair  seized  us  again.  Witchcraft  and  sorcery  and 
monstrous  ignorance,  and  fooled  to  our  deaths !  "  West  — 
west  —  west !  "  till  the  west  was  hated.  The  Pinzons  thought 
we  should  change  course.  If  there  were  lands  we  were 
leaving  them  in  the  north  where  hung  the  haze.  But  the 
Madman  or  the  Black  Magician,  our  Italian  Admiral,  would 
not  hear  good  advice!  It  was  Gutierrez's  word,  under  his 

[91] 


breath  when  the  Admiral  was  in  earshot,  and  aloud  when 
he  was  not.  "  Our  Italian  —  our  Italian !  Why  did  not 
Italy  keep  him?  And  Portugal  neither  would  have  himl 
Castile,  the  jade,  takes  him  up ! " 

Then  after  absence  began  again  the  signs.  Flocks  of  birds 
went  by  us.  I  saw  him  watching,  and  truly  these  flights 
did  seem  to  come  from  south  of  west.  On  the  seventh  of 
October  he  altered  course.  We  sailed  southwest.  This  day 
there  floated  by  a  branch  with  purple  berries,  and  we  saw 
flying  fish.  Dolphins  played  about  the  ship.  The  very  sea 
felt  warm  to  the  hand,  and  yet  was  no  oppression,  but  light 
and  easily  breathed  air,  fragrant  and  lifting  the  spirits. 

And  now  we  saw  floating  something  like  a  narrow  board 
or  a  wide  staff.  The  master  ordered  the  boat  lowered ;  we 
brought  it  in  and  it  was  given  dripping  into  the  Admiral's 
hand.  "  It  is  carved  by  man,"  he  said.  "  Look !  "  Truly 
it  was  so,  rudely  done  with  bone  or  flint,  but  carved  by  man 
with  something  meant  for  a  picture  of  a  beast  and  a  tree. 

We  sailed  west  by  south  this  day  and  the  next.  No  more 
man-wrought  driftage  came  our  way,  but  other  signs  multi 
plied.  We  saw  many  birds,  the  water  was  strangely  warm 
and  clear,  when  the  wind  blew  toward  us  it  had  a  scent, 
a  tone,  that  cried  land  breeze!  Then  came  by  a  branch 
with  yellow  flowers,  and  upon  one  a  butterfly.  After  this 
none  doubted,  not  Fernando  nor  any.  "  Gold  flowers  — 
gold  flowers  —  gold,  gold !  " 

This  night  we  lay  by  so  that  we  should  not  slip  past  land 
in  the  darkness.  When  day  came  there  showed  haze  south 
and  west.  A  gentle  wind  sang  in  our  rigging.  On  board 
the  Santa  Maria,  the  Pinta  and  the  Nina  all  watched  for 
land.  Excitement  and  restlessness  took  us  all.  The  Ad 
miral's  eyes  burned  like  deep  gray  seas.  I  could  read  in 
them  the  images  behind.  Prester  John  and  the  Release  of 
the  Sepulchre.  The  Grand  Khan  a  tributary  Prince.  Ar 
gosies  of  gold,  silk  and  spices,  sailing  steady,  sailing  fast  over 
a  waterway  unblocked  by  Mahound  and  his  soldans.  All  Eu 
rope  burning  bright }  rising  a  rich  Queen.  Holy  Church  with 

[92] 


another  cubit  to  her  stature.  Christopherus  Columbus,  the 
Discoverer,  the  Enricher,  the  Deliverer!  Queen  Isabella,  and 
on  her  cheeks  a  flush  of  gratitude;  all  the  Spanish  court  bow 
ing  low.  All  the  friends,  the  kindred,  all  so  blessed!  Sons, 
brothers;  Genoa,  and  Domenico  Colombo  clad  in  velvet,  din 
ing  with  the  Doge. 

Dolphins  were  all  about  us;  once  there  rose  a  cry  from 
the  mariners  that  they  heard  singing  over  the  waves.  We 
held  breath  and  listened,  but  if  they  were  sirens  they  ceased 
their  song.  But  at  eve,  the  sky  pale  gold,  the  water  a 
sapphire  field,  we  ourselves  sang  mightily  our  "Salve  Re- 
gina." 

The  Admiral  would  speak  to  us.  Now  all  loved  him, 
with  golden  India  rising  to-morrow  from  the  sea,  with  his 
wisdom  proving  itself!  He  had  this  eve  a  thrilling  voice. 
God  had  been  good  to  us ;  who  could  say  other  ?  This  very 
eve,  at  Palos,  they  thought  of  us.  At  Santa  Maria  de  la 
Rabida,  chanting  vesper  hymn,  they  prayed  for  us  also. 
In  Cordova  the  Queen  prayed.  In  Rome,  the  Holy  Father 
had  us  in  mind.  Would  we  lessen  ourselves,  disappointing 
so  many,  and  very  God,  grieving  very  Christ?  "  No!  But 
out  of  this  ship  we  shall  step  on  this  land  to  come,  good 
men,  true  men,  servants  and  sons  of  Christ  in  His  kingdom. 
This  night,  in  India  before  us,  men  sigh,  '  We  weary  of  our 
idols !  Why  tarrieth  true  God  ? '  There  the  learned  think, 
bending  over  their  maps,  '  Why  doth  not  some  one  put  forth, 
bringing  all  the  lands  into  one  garland?'  They  look  to 
their  east  whence  we  come,  and  they  may  see  in  dream  to 
night  these  three  ships !  "  His  voice  rang.  "  I  tell  you 
these  Three  Ships  shall  be  known  forever!  Your  grand 
children's  grandchildren  shall  say,  '  The  Santa  Maria,  the 
Pinta  and  the  Nina  —  and  one  that  was  our  ancestor  sailed 
in  this  one  or  in  that  one,  to  the  glory  and  gain  of  the 
world,  wherefore  we  still  make  festival  of  his  birthday ! ' " 

At  this  they  stirred,  whether  from  Palos  or  Huelva  or 
Fishertown.  They  looked  at  him  now  as  though  indeed  he 
were  great  mage,  or  even  apostle. 

[93] 


That  evening  I  heard  Roderigo  de  Escobedo  at  an  enumer 
ation.  He  seemed  to  have  committed  to  memory  some 
Venice  list.  "  Mastic,  aloes,  pepper,  cloves,  mace  and  cinna 
mon  and  nutmeg.  Ivory  and  silk  and  most  fine  cloth,  dia 
monds,  balasses,  rubies,  pearls,  sapphires,  jacinth  and  emer 
alds.  Silver  in  bulk  and  gold  common  as  iron  with  us. 
Gold  — gold!" 

Pedro  Gutierrez  was  speaking.  "  Gold  to  carry  to  Spain 
and  pay  my  debts,  with  enough  left  to  go  again  to  court  —  " 

Said  Escobedo,  "  The  Admiral  saith,  '  No  fraud  nor 
violence,  quarreling  nor  oppression*  !  " 

Gutierrez  answered :  "  The  Admiral  also  thinks  to  pay 
his  debts !  He  may  think  he  will  be  strict  as  the  Saints,  but 
he  will  not !  " 

The  Admiral  was  walking  the  deck.  He  stopped  beside 
Juan  Lepe  who  leaned  upon  the  rail  and  watched  a  strange, 
glistering  sea.  It  was  that  shining  stuff  we  see  at  times 
at  night  in  certain  weather.  But  to-night  Luis  Torres,  pass 
ing,  had  said,  "  Strewn  ducats !  " 

The  Admiral  and  Juan  Lepe  watched.  "  Never  a  sail !  " 
said  I.  "  How  strange  a  thing  is  that !  Great  populous 
countries  that  trade  among  themselves,  and  never  a  sail  on 
this  sea  rim !  " 

He  drummed  upon  the  rail.  "  Do  not  think  I  have  not 
thought  of  that!  I  looked  to  meet  first  a  ship  or  ships. 
But  now  I  think  that  truly  there  may  be  many  outlying 
islands  without  ships.  Or  there  may  be  a  war  between 
princes,  and  all  ships  drawn  in  a  fleet  to  north  or  south. 
One  beats  one's  brains  —  and  time  brings  the  solution,  and 
we  say,  '  How  simple ! '  " 

Turning  his  great  figure,  he  mounted  to  our  castle  built 
up  from  deck,  whence  he  could  see  great  distances.  The 
wind  had  freshened;  we  were  standing  to  the  west;  it  was 
behind  us  again  and  it  pushed  us  like  a  shuttle  in  a  giant's 
hand.  The  night  was  violet  dark  and  warm;  then  at  ten 
the  moon  rose.  Men  would  not  sleep  while  the  ship  sailed. 
A  great  event  was  marching,  marching  toward  us.  We 

[94] 


thought  we  caught  the  music  of  it;  any  moment  heralds, 
banners,  might  flame  at  end  of  road.  We  were  watching 
for  the  Marriage  Procession;  we  were  watching  for  Kings, 
for  the  Pope,  for  I  know  not  what!  But  there  was  certain 
to  be  largesse. 

I  went  among  the  mariners.  Sancho  met  me,  a  young 
man  whom  then  and  afterwards  I  greatly  liked.  "  Well, 
we've  had  luck,  Senor!  Saint  Noah  himself,  say  I,  wasn't 
any  luckier !  " 

"Yes,  we've  done  well!" 

Beltran  the  cook's  great  easy  voice  rolled  in.  "  Fear's 
your  only  barnacle,  say  I !  " 

Luis  Torres  said,  "  When  I  studied  Arabic  and  the  He 
brew,  I  thought  it  was  for  the  pleasure  of  it.  They  said 
around  me,  '  How  you  waste  your  time ! '  But  now  some 
about  the  Grand  Khan  should  know  Arabic.  I  will  be  of 
use." 

Pedro  said,  "  Well,  it  has  turned  out  better  than  any  rea 
sonable  man  could  have  expected ! "  and  Fernando,  "  Yes, 
it  has !  Of  course  there  may  be  witches.  I've  heard  it  said 
there  are  great  necromancers  in  India !  " 

"  Necromancers !  That's  them  that  show  you  a  thing 
and  then  blow  it  away  —  " 

I  said,  "  Do  you  not  know  that  all  of  us  are  the  only 
necromancers  ?  " 

"  Did  you  see,"  asked  Sancho,  "  the  glistering  in  the 
water?  Are  we  going  to  lie  to  after  midnight?  Saint 
George !  I  would  like  to  plunge  in  and  swim !  " 

On  poop  deck,  Diego  de  Arana  called  me  to  him.  "  Well, 
Doctor,  how  goes  it  ?  "  He  and  I  rested  good  friends.  I 
said,  "  Why,  it  goes  well." 

"  I  was  thinking,  watching  the  moon,  how  little  I  ever 
dreamed,  being  no  sea-going  man,  of  such  a  thing  as  this. 
Who  knows  his  fate  ?  A  man's  a  strange  matter !  " 

"  He  is  a  ballad,"  I  answered.  "  One  stave  leads  to  an 
other  and  the  story  mounts." 

"  I  cannot  think  what  to-morrow  may  show  us !  " 

[95] 


"  Nor  can  I !  But  it  will  be  important.  We  enter  by  a 
narrow  strait  great  widths  of  the  future." 

"  There  will  be  great  changes,  doubtless.  Our  world  is 
growing  little.  Everybody  feels  that  we  must  push  out! 
It  isn't  only  Spain,  but  all  kingdoms." 

Pedro  Gutierrez  joined  us.  "  You  are  a  learned  man, 
Doctor!  What  like  are  the  women  of  Cipango?  " 

The  moon,  past  the  full  yet  strong  enough  to  silver 
this  vast  shield,  rose  higher.  The  sails  of  the  Pinta  and  the 
Nina  were  curves  of  pearl,  our  sails  above  us  pale  moun 
tains.  The  light  dimmed  our  lanterns.  Crowned  woman 
at  our  prow  would  be  bathed  in  it  as  she  ran  across  Ocean- 
Sea.  It  washed  our  decks,  pricked  out  our  moving  men. 
They  cast  shadows.  The  master  had  served  out  an  extra 
draught  of  wine.  It  was  hardly  needed.  We  were  all  lifted, 
with  visions  drumming  in  our  heads.  Fray  Ignatio  stood 
against  the  mast,  and  I  knew  that  he  felt  a  pulpit  and  was 
making  his  sermon.  After  a  time,  Diego  de  Arana  and 
Pedro  Gutierrez  moving  away,  I  was  alone.  Mind  and 
heart  tranquilized,  and  into  therm  stepped  Isabel,  and  she 
and  I,  hand  in  hand,  walked  fields  of  the  west. 

The  moon  shone.  The  Admiral's  voice  came  from  above 
us  where  he  watched  from  the  castle.  "  Come  up  here,  one 
or  two  of  you ! "  Gutierrez  was  nearest  the  ladder.  He 
mounted  and  I  after  him,  and  we  stood  one  on  either  hand 
the  Admiral.  He  pointed  south  of  west.  "  A  light !  "  His 
voice  was  an  ocean.  "«It  is  as  it  should  be.  I,  Christopherus 
Columbus,  have  first  seen  the  Shore  of  Asia !  " 

We  followed  his  extended  hand.  Clear  under  sail  we  saw 
it,  dimmed  by  the  moon,  but  evident,  a  light  as  it  were  of 
a  fire  on  a  beach.  Diego  de  Arana  came  up  also  and 
saw  it.  It  was,  we  thought,  more  than  a  league  away,  a 
light  that  must  be  on  land  and  made  by  man.  It  dwindled, 
out  it  went  into  night  and  there  ran  only  plain  silver.  We 
waited  while  a  man  might  have  swam  from  us  to  the  Pinta, 
then  forth  it  started  again,  red  star  that  was  no  star.  Some 
one  below  us  cried,  "  Ho,  look !  "  The  Admiral  raised  his 

[96] 


voice,  it  rang  over  ship.  "  Aye !  I  saw  it  a  time  ago,  have 
seen  it  thrice!  I,  the  Admiral,  saw  first."  Men  were 
crowding  to  the  side  to  look,  then  it  went  out  as  though 
a  wave  had  crept  up  and  drenched  it.  We  gazed  and  gazed, 
but  it  did  not  come  again. 

It  might  have  been  not  land,  but  a  small  boat  afire.  But 
that  is  not  probable,  and  we  upon  the  Santa  Maria  held 
that  to  see  burning  wood  on  shore,  though  naught  showed 
of  that  shore  itself,  was  truly  first  to  view,  first  of  all  of 
us,  that  land  we  sought.  He  did  not  care  for  the  ten 
thousand  maravedies,  but  he  cared  that  it  should  be  said 
that  God  showed  it  first  to  him. 

The  wind  pushed  us  on  with  the  flat  of  a  great  hand. 
Midnight  and  after  midnight.  At  the  sight  of  that  flame 
we  should  have  fired  our  cannon,  but  for  some  reason  this 
was  not  done.  Now  the  silver  silence  beyond  the  ship  was 
torn  across  by  the  Pinta's  gun.  She  fired,  then  came  near 
us.  "  Land !  Land !  "  Now  we  saw  it  under  the  moon, 
just  lifting  above  the  sea,  —  lonely,  peaceful,  dark. 

It  was  middle  night.  The  Santa  Maria,  the  Pinta  and  the 
Nina  went  another  league,  then  took  in  sail  and  came  to 
anchor. 


[97] 


CHAPTER  XV 

THE  Admiral  set  a  watch  and  commanded  all  beside 
to  sleep.  To-morrow  might  be  work  and  wakeful- 
ness  enough!  The  ship  grew  silent.  With  the  Pinta 
and  the  Nina  it  lay  under  the  moon,  and  all  around  was 
silver  water. 

He  did  not  sleep  this  night,  I  am  sure.  At  all  times  he 
was  a  provident  and  wakeful  sea  king  who  knew  his  ship 
through  and  through.  His  habit  was  light  sleep  and  not 
many  hours  of  that.  He  studied  his  books  at  night  while 
others  slept.  Lying  in  his  bed,  with  eyes  open  or  eyes  shut, 
he  watched  form  in  the  darkness  lands  across  sea. 

This  night  so  far  from  Europe  passed.  The  sense  of  day 
at  hand  wrapped  us.  In  the  east  arose  a  cool,  a  stern  and 
indifferent  pallor.  It  changed,  it  flushed.  We  carried  in 
the  Santa  Maria  a  cock  and  hens.  Cock  crew. 

Christopherus  Columbus  had  Italian  love  for  fit,  har 
monious  noting  of  vast  events.  This  morning  the  trump 
eter  also  of  the  Santa  Maria  waked  those  who  slept.  The 
clear  and  joyful  notes  were  heard  by  the  Pinta  and  the 
Pinta,  too,  answered  with  music.  The  Nina  took  it  from 
her.  Beltran  the  cook  and  his  helpers  gave  us  a  stately 
breakfast.  The  Admiral  came  forth  from  his  cabin  in  a 
dress  that  a  prince  might  have  worn,  crimson  and  tawny, 
and  around  his  throat  a  golden  chain.  Far  and  near  rushed 
into  light,  for  in  these  lands  and  seas  the  dawn  makes  no 
tarrying.  It  is  almost  night,  then  with  a  great  clap  of 
light  it  is  day. 

We  had  voyaged,  all  thought,  to  Asia  over  an  untrodden 

[98] 


way.  Every  eye  turned  to  land.  Not  haze,  not  dissolving 
cloud,  not  a  magic  nothing  in  the  thought,  but  land,  land, 
solid,  palpable,  like  Palos  strand !  Had  we  seen  a  great  port 
city,  had  we  seen  ships  crowding  harbor,  had  we  seen  a 
citadel  on  some  height,  armed  and  frowning,  had  we  marked 
temples  and  palaces  and  banners  afloat  in  this  divine  cool 
wind  of  morning,  many  aboard  us  would  have  had  now  no 
surprise,  would  have  cried,  "  Of  course,  I  really  knew  it, 
though  for  the  fun  of  it  I  pretended  otherwise ! " 

But  others  among  us  could  not  expect  such  as  this  after 
the  quiet  night;  no  light  before  us  save  that  one  so  soon 
quenched,  no  stir  of  boat  at  all  or  large  or  small";  an  un 
earthly  quiet,  a  low  land  still  as  a  sleeping  marsh  under 
moon. 

The  light  brightened.  The  water  about  us  turned  a  blue 
that  .none  there  had  ever  seen,  so  turquoise,  so  cerulean,  so 
penetrable  by  the  eye !  Before  us  gentle  surf  broke  on  a 
beach  bone-white.  The  beach  with  little  rise  met  woodland ; 
thick  it  seemed  and  of  a  vivid  greenness  and  fairly  cover 
ing  the  island.  It  was  island,  masthead  told  us,  who  saw 
blue  ribbon  going  around.  Moreover,  there  were  two  others, 
no  greater,  upon  the  horizon.  Nor,  though  the  woodland 
seemed  thick  as  pile  of  velvet,  was  it  desolate  isle.  We 
made  out  in  three  places  light  plumes  of  smoke.  Now  some 
one  uttered  a  cry,  "  Men !  " 

They  were  running  out  of  the  wood,  down  upon  the  white 
beach.  There  might  be  a  hundred. 

"  Naked  men !  They  are  dark  —  They  are  negroes !  "  — 
"  Or  magicians !  " 

The  Admiral  lifted  his  great  voice.  "  Mariners  all !  In 
dia  and  Cathay  are  fringed  with  islands,  as  are  many  parts 
of  Europe.  A  dozen  of  you  have  sailed  among  the  Greek 
islands.  There  may  be  as  many  here  as  those.  This  is  a 
small  island  and  its  folk  simple.  They  are  not  Negroes, 
but  the  skin  of  the  Indian  is  darker  than  ours,  and  that 
of  Cipango  and  Cathay  is  yellow.  As  for  clothing,  in  all 
warm  lands  the  simpler  folk  wear  little.  But  as  for  ma- 

[99J 


1499 


gicians,  there  may  be  magicians  among  them  as  there  are 
among  all  peoples,  but  it  is  falseness  and  absurdity  to  speak 
of  all  as  magicians !  Nonsense  and  cowardice !  The  man 
who  cried  that  goes  not  ashore  to-day ! " 

Not  Great  India  before  us  nor  Golden  Cipango!  But 
it  was  land  —  land  —  it  was  solid,  there  were  folk!  How 
long  had  flowed  the  sea  around  us,  for  this  was  the  twelfth 
of  October,  five  weeks  since  Gomera  and  above  two  months 
since  Palos  had  sunk  away  and  we  had  heard  the  last  faint 
bell  of  La  Rabida!  And  there  had  been  strong  doubt  if 
ever  we  should  see  again  a  white  beach,  or  a  tree,  or  a 
kindly  fire  ashore,  or  any  men  but  those  of  our  three  ships, 
or  ever  another  woman  or  a  child.  But  land  —  land !  Here 
was  land  and  green  woods  and  crowds  of  strange  folk. 
The  mariners  laughed,  and  the  tears  stood  in  their  eyes 
and  friends  embraced.  And  they  grew  mightily  respectful 
to  the  Admiral. 

So  many  were  to  go  ashore  in  the  first  boat,  and  so  many 
in  the  second.  The  Pinta  and  the  Nina  were  lowering  their 
boats.  Our  hidalgos  aboard,  Diego  de  Arana,  Roderigo 
Sanchez  and  the  rest,  had  also  fine  apparel  with  them  — 
seeing  that  the  Grand  Khan  would  have  a  court  and  our 
Sovereigns  must  be  rightly  represented  —  and  this  morning 
they  suited  themselves  only  less  splendidly  than  did  the 
Admiral.  The  great  banner  of  Castile  and  Leon  was  ready 
for  carrying.  Trumpet,  drum  and  fife  should  land.  Fray 
Ignatio  was  ready  —  oh,  ready !  His  liquid  dark  eyes  had 
an  unearthly  look.  Gifts  were  being  sorted  out.  There 
were  aboard  rich  things,  valued  in  any  land  of  ours,  for 
gifts  to  the  Grand  Khan  and  his  ministers,  or  the  Emperor 
of  Cipango  and  his.  For  Queens  and  Empresses  and  Ladies 
also.  And  there  was  a  wondrous  missal  for  Prester  John 
did  we  find  him !  But  this  was  evidently  a  little  island  afar, 
and  these  were  naked,  savage  men.  The  expedition  was 
provident.  It  had  for  all.  The  Portuguese,  our  great  navi 
gators,  had  taught  what  the  naked  African  liked.  A  basket 
stood  at  hand  filled  with  pieces  of  colored  cloth,  beads,  caps, 

[100] 


hawk  bells,  fishhooks,  toys  of  sorts.  For  that  we  might 
have  trouble,  four  harquebus  men  and  four  crossbows  were 
going.  The  Santa  Maria  carried  two  cannon.  Now  at  the 
Admiral's  signal,  one  of  these  was  discharged.  It  was  a 
voice  not  heard  before  in  this  world.  If  he  wished  to  pro 
duce  awe  that  should  accompany  him  like  the  ancient  pillars 
of  cloud  and  fire,  he  had  success.  When  the  smoke  cleared 
we  saw  the  wild  men  prostrate  upon  the  ivory  beach  as 
though  a  scythe  had  cut  them  down.  They  lay  like  fallen 
grain,  then  rose  and  made  haste  for  the  wood.  We  could 
thinly  hear  their  shouting. 

Christopherus  Columbus  descended  into  the  boat  of  the 
Santa  Maria,  Fray  Ignatio  after  him.  Diego  de  Arana, 
Roderigo  Sanchez,  Escobedo,  Gutierrez  and  Juan  Lepe  the 
physician  followed.  Juan  de  la  Cosa  stayed  with  the  ship,  it 
not  being  wise  to  take  away  all  authority.  Our  armed  men 
came  after  and  the  rowers.  We  drew  off  and  the  small  boat 
filled.  Boats  of  the  Pinta  and  the  Nina  joined  us.  The 
great  banner  over  us,  the  Admiral's  hand  upon  its  stand 
ard,  we  rowed  for  Asia. 

Nearer  and  nearer.  The  water  hung  about  us,  plain  mar 
vel,  not  dark  blue,  but  turquoise  and  clear  as  air.  We  could 
see  the  strange,  bright-hued  fish  and  the  white  bottom.  The 
air  breathed  Maytime,  and  now  we  thought  we  could  tell 
the  spices.  And  so  ivory-white  it  was,  the  long  curved 
beach,  and  so  gayly  bright  the  emerald  of  the  wood !  There 
were  many  palms  with  other  trees  we  knew  not.  It  was 
low,  the  island,  and  it  shone  before  us  silver  and  green,  and 
the  trees  moved  gently  in  a  wind  more  sweet,  we  thought, 
than  any  Andalusian  zephyr.  Pedro  Gutierrez  stared. 
"Paradise  — Paradise!" 

It  was  not  what  we  had  looked  for,  but  it  was  good 
enough.  It  seemed  divine,  that  morning! 

Nearer  we  drew,  nearer.  The  beach  was  now  bare.  We 
made  out  the  dark,  naked  folk  at  edge  of  the  wood,  in  tree 
shadows,  watching  us.  Were  they  strange  to  us,  be  sure 
we  were  stranger  to  them! 


The  azure  water,  so  marvelous,  met  that  sand  white  like 
crushed  bone,  strewn  with  delicate  shells.  Never  was  wind 
so  sweet  as  that  which  blew  this  morning!  Green  plumes, 
the  palms  brushed  the  sky;  there  seemed  to  us  fruit  trees 
also,  with  satin  stems  and  wide-laden  boughs.  When  we 
looked  over  shoulder  the  Santa  Maria,  the  Pinta  and  the 
Nina  each  rode  double,  mast  and  hull  in  sky,  mast  and  hull 
in  mirror  sea.  Something  strange  and  divine  was  about 
us,  over  us.  We  wished  to  laugh,  we  wished  to  weep. 

Boat  head  touched  clean  sand.  The  oars  rested.  Chris- 
topherus  Columbus  the  Admiral  stepped  from  boat  first  and 
alone,  all  waiting  as  was  right.  He  took  with  him  the  ban 
ner  of  Spain.  He  walked  a  few  yards,  then  struck  the 
standard  into  the  sand.  There  was  air  enough  to  open  the 
folds,  to  make  them  float  and  fly.  Kneeling,  he  bowed  him 
self  and  kissed  the  earth.  We  heard  his  strong  voice  pray 
ing.  "  Domine  Deus,  aeterne  et  omnipotent,  sacro  tuo  verbo 
coelum,  et  terra,  et  mare,  creasti  — " 

We  also  bowed  our  heads.  He  rose  and  cried  to  Fray 
Ignatio.  The  Franciscan  was  the  next  to  enter  this  new 
world.  After  him  sprang  out  Diego  de  Arana  and  the  others. 
The  Pinzons,  too,  were  now  leaving  their  boats.  All  were 
at  last  gathered  about  the  Admiral,  between  blue  water  and 
green  wood.  Fifty  Spaniards,  we  gathered  there,  and  we 
heard  our  fellows  left  upon  the  ships  cheering  us.  We 
kneeled  and  Fray  Ignatio  thanked  God  for  us. 

We  rose,  drew  long  breath  and  looked  about  us,  then 
turned  to  the  Admiral  with  loud  praise  and  gratulation.  He 
was  girded  with  a  sword,  cross-hiked.  Drawing  it,  he  set 
its  point  in  the  sand.  Then  with  one  hand  upon  the  cross, 
and  one  lifted  and  wrapped  in  the  banner  folds,  he,  with  a 
great  voice,  proclaimed  Spain's  ownership.  To  the  King 
and  Queen  of  the  Spains  all  lands  unchristian  and  idolatrous 
that  we  might  find  and  use  and  hold,  all  that  were  clearly 
away  from  the  line  of  the  King  of  Portugal,  drawn  for  him 
by  the  Holy  Father!  In  the  name  of  God,  in  the  name  of 
Holy  Church,  in  the  name  of  Isabella,  Queen  of  Castile, 

[102] 


1490 


and  Ferdinand,  King  of  Aragon  and  their  united  Power, 
amen  and  amen!  He  motioned  to  the  trumpeter  who  put 
trumpet  to  his  lips  and  blew  a  blast  to  the  north  and  the 
south  and  the  east  and  the  west.  At  the  sound  there  seemed 
to  come  a  cry  from  the  fringing  wood,  a  cry  of  terror. 

The  island  was  ours,  —  if  all  this  could  make  it  ours. 

A  piece  of  scarlet  cloth  spread  upon  the  sand  had  heaped 
upon  it  necklaces  of  glass  and  three  or  four  hawk  bells 
with  other  toys.  We  placed  it  there,  then  stood  back.  At 
the  Admiral's  command  the  harquebus  and  crossbow  men 
laid  their  weapons  down,  though  watchful  eye  was  kept. 
But  no  arrow  flights  had  come  from  the  wood,  and  as  far 
as  could  be  seen  some  kind  of  lance,  not  formidable  looking, 
was  their  only  weapon.  Next  the  Admiral  made  our  fifer  to 
play  a  merry  and  peaceful  air. 

We  had  noted  a  clump  of  trees  advanced  into  the  sand 
and  we  thought  that  the  bolder  men  were  occupying  this. 
Now  a  man  started  out  alone,  a  young  man  by  the  looks  of 
him,  drawn  as  he  was  against  the  white  sand,  and  a  paladin, 
for  he  marched  to  meet  alone  he  knew  not  what  or  whom. 
"  Blackamoor !  "  exclaimed  De  Arana  beside  me,  but  as  he 
came  nearer  we  saw  that  the  dead  blackness  was  paint,  laid 
in  a  fantastic  pattern  upon  his  face  and  body.  Native  hue 
of  skin,  as  we  came  presently  to  find  in  the  unpainted,  was 
a  pleasing  red-brown.  He  advanced  walking  daintily  and 
proudly,  knowing  that  his  people  were  watching  him.  Single 
Castilian,  single  Moor,  had  advanced  so,  many  a  time,  be 
tween  camps,  or  between  camp  and  fortress. 

Halting  beside  the  red  cloth  he  stooped  and  turned  over 
the  trinkets.  When  he  straightened  himself  he  had  in  hand 
a  string  of  great  beads,  rose  and  blue  and  green.  He  fingered 
these,  seemed  about  to  put  the  necklet  on,  then  refrained 
as  too  daring.  Laying  it  gently  back  upon  the  scarlet  he 
next  took  up  a  hawk  bell.  These  bells,  as  is  known,  ring 
very  clear  and  sweet.  I  was  afterwards  told  that  the  Portu 
guese  had  noted  their  welcome  among  the  African  people. 
There  was  no  nail's  breadth  of  information  that  this  man 

[103] 


Columbus  could  not  use!  He  had  used  this,  and  in  a  list 
for  just  possibly  found  savage  Indians  had  put  down,  "  good 
number  of  hawk  bells." 

The  red  man  painted  black,  took  up  the  hawk  bell.  It 
chimed  as  he  moved  it.  He  dropped  it  on  the  sand  and  gave 
back  a  step,  then  picked  it  up  and  set  it  tinkling.  His  face, 
the  way  in  which  he  moved,  said  "  Music  from  heaven !  " 

The  Admiral  motioned  to  Fray  Ignatio  to  move  toward 
him.  That  good  man  went  gently  forward.  The  youth 
gave  back,  but  then  braced  himself,  under  the  eyes  of  his 
nation.  He  stood.  The  Franciscan  put  out  a  gowned  arm 
and  a  long,  lean  kindly  hand.  The  youth,  naked  as  the 
bronze  of  a  god,  hesitated,  raised  his  own  arm,  let  it  drop 
upon  the  other's.  Fray  Ignatio,  speaking  mild  words, 
brought  him  across  and  to  the  Admiral.  The  latter,  tallest 
of  us  all  and  greatly  framed,  lofty  of  port,  dressed  with 
magnificence,  silver-haired,  standing  forth  from  his  officers 
and  men,  the  banner  over  him,  would  be  taken  by  any  for 
Great  Captain,  chief  god  of  these  gods,  and  certes,  at  the 
first  they  thought  that  we  were  gods!  The  Indian  put  his 
hands  to  his  face,  shrank  like  a  girl  and  came  slowly  to  his 
knees  and  lower  yet  until  his  forehead  rested  upon  the  earth. 
The  Admiral  lifted  him,  calling  him  "  son." 

Those  of  his  kind  watching  from  the  wood  now  sent  forth 
a  considerable  deputation.  There  came  to  us  a  dozen  naked 
men,  fairly  tall,  well-shaped,  skin  of  red  copper,  smeared 
often  with  paint  in  bars  and  disks  and  crescents.  Their 
hair  was  not  like  the  Negro's,  the  only  other  naked  man  our 
time  knew,  but  was  straight,  black,  somewhat  coarse,  not 
bushy  but  abundant,  cut  short  with  the  men  below  the  ear. 
They  are  a  beardless  people.  Our  beards  are  an  amazement 
to  them,  as  are  our  clothes.  A  fiercely  quarrelsome  folk,  a 
peace-keeping,  gentle  folk  will  sound  their  note  very  soon. 
These  belonged  to  the  latter  kind.  Their  lances  were  not  our 
huge  knightly  ones,  nor  the  light,  hard  ones  of  the  Moors. 
They  were  hardly  more  than  stout  canes,  the  head  not  iron 
—  they  had  no  iron — -but  flint  or  bone  shaped  by  a  flint 

[104] 


1492 


knife.  Where  the  paint  was  not  splashed  or  patterned  over 
them,  their  faces  could  be  liked  very  well.  Lips  were  not  over 
full,  the  nose  slightly  beaked,  the  forehead  fairly  high,  the 
eyes  good.  They  did  not  jabber  nor  move  idly  but  kept 
measure  and  a  pleasant  dignity.  They  seemed  gentle  and 
happy.  So  were  they  when  we  found  them. 

Their  speech  sounded  of  no  tongue  that  we  knew.  Luis 
Torres  and  I  alike  had  knowledge  of  Arabic.  We  had  no 
Persian  that  might  be  nearer  yet,  but  Arabia  being  im- 
memorially  caravan-knit  with  India,  it  was  thought  that  it 
might  be  understood.  But  these  bare  folk  had  no  notion 
of  it,  nor  of  the  Hebrew  which  Luis  tried  next.  The  Latin 
did  not  do,  the  Greek  of  which  I  had  a  little  did  not  do. 
But  there  is  an  old,  old  language  called  Gesture.  If, 
wherever  there  is  a  common  language  there  is  one  people, 
then  in  end  and  beginning  surely  we  are  one  folk  around 
the  earth! 

We  were  to  be  friends  with  these  islanders.  "  Friends 
first  and  last !  "  believed  the  Admiral.  Indeed,  all  felt  it 
so,  this  bright  day.  If  they  were  not  all  we  had  imaged, 
sailing  to  them,  yet  were  they  men,  and  unthreatening,  novel, 
very  interesting  to  us  with  their  island  and  their  marvelous 
blue  water.  All  was  heightened  by  sheer  joy  of  landing, 
and  of  finding  —  finding  something!  And  what  we  found 
was  not  horrible  nor  deathful,  but  bright,  promising,  scented 
like  first  fruits. 

To  them  we  found  we  were  gods !  They  moved  about  us 
with  a  kind  of  ceremony  of  propitiation.  Two  youths  came 
with  a  piece  of  bark  carried  like  a  salver,  piled  with  fruits 
and  with  thin  cakes  of  some  scraped  root.  Another  brought 
a  parrot,  a  great  green  and  rose  bird  that  at  once  talked, 
though  we  could  not  understand  his  words.  Two  older 
men  had  balls,  as  large  as  melons,  of  some  wound  stuff  that 
we  presently  found  to  be  cotton  loosely  twisted  into  yarn. 
The  Admiral's  eyes  glowed.  "  Now  if  any  bring  spices  or 
pepper  —  "  But  they  did  not,  nor  did  they  bring  gold. 

All  these  things  they  put  down  before  us,  in  silence  or 
[105] 


149Q 


with  words  that  we  thought  were  petitions,  moving  not  con 
fusedly  but  with  a  manner  of  ritual.  The  Admiral  took  a 
necklace  and  placed  it  round  the  throat  of  the  young  man 
who  first  had  dared,  and  in  his  hand  put  a  hawk  bell.  That 
was  enough  for  himself  to  do,  who  was  Viceroy.  Three  of 
us  finished  the  distribution.  They  who  had  brought  pres 
ents  were  given  presents.  All  would  have  us  go  with  them 
to  their  village,  just  behind  the  trees.  A  handful  of  men 
we  left  with  the  boats  and  the  rest  of  us  crossed  sand.  Har 
quebuses  and  crossbows  went  with  us,  but  we  had  no  need 
of  them.  The  island  apparently  followed  peace,  and  its 
folk  greatly  feared  to  give  offense  to  gods  from  the  sky. 
Above  the  ships  held  a  range  of  pearly  clouds,  out  of  which 
indeed  one  might  make  strange  lands  and  forms.  The  In 
dians  —  Christopherus  Columbus  called  them  "  Indians  "  — 
pointed  from  ships  to  cloud.  They  spoke  with  movements 
of  reverence.  "  You  have  come  down  —  you  have  come 
down !  "  We  understood  them,  though  their  words  were  not 
ours. 

Now  the  greenwood  rose  close  at  hand.  The  trees  differed, 
the  woven  thickness  of  it,  the  color  and  blossom,  from  any 
wood  at  home.  A  space  opened  before  us,  and  here  was 
the  village  of  these  folk,  —  round  huts  thatched  with  palm 
leaves,  set  on  no  streets,  but  at  choice  under  trees.  Earth 
around  was  trodden  hard,  but  the  green  woods  pressed  close. 
Here  and  there  showed  garden  patches  with  plants  whose 
names  and  uses  we  knew  not.  Now  we  came  upon  women 
and  children.  Like  the  men  the  women  were  naked.  Well- 
shaped  and  comely,  with  long,  black,  braided  hair,  they 
seemed  to  us  gentle,  pleasing  and  fearless.  The  children 
were  a  crew  that  any  might  love. 

Time  lacks  to  say  all  that  we  did  and  heard  and  guessed 
this  day  upon  this  island !  It  was  first  love  after  long  weeks 
at  sea,  and  our  cramped  ships  and  all  our  great  uncertainty ! 
If  it  was  not  what  we  had  expected,  still  here  it  was,  tangible 
land  that  never  had  been  known,  wonderful  to  us,  giving 
us  already  rich  narrative  for  Palos  and  Huelva  and  Fisher- 

[106] 


town,  for  Cordova  and  the  Queen  and  King.  We  were  sure 
now  that  other  land  was  to  be  met,  so  soon  as  we  sailed  a 
reasonable  distance  to  meet  it.  Under  the  horizon  would 
be  land  surely,  and  surely  of  an  import  that  this  small  island 
lacked,  like  Paradise  though  it  seemed  to  us  this  day !  Any 
who  looked  at  the  Admiral  saw  that  he  would  make  no  long 
tarrying  here.  He  named  this  island  San  Salvador,  but  we 
would  not  wait  in  San  Salvador. 

This  day  in  shifts,  all  our  men  were  brought  ashore,  each 
division  having  three  hours  of  blessed  land.  So  good  was 
earth  under  foot,  so  good  were  trees,  so  delectable  the  fruit, 
so  lovely  to  move  and  run  and  watch  every  moving,  running, 
walking  thing!  And  these  good,  red-brown  folk,  naked  it 
was  true,  but  mannerly  after  their  own  fashion,  who  thought 
every  seaman  a  god,  and  the  ship  boys  sons  of  gods !  And 
we  also  were  good  and  mannerly,  the  Santa  Maria,  the 
Pinta  and  the  Nina.  I  look  back  and  I  see  a  strange,  a 
boyish  and  a  happy  day. 

The  sun  was  westering.  We  felt  the  exhaustion  of  a 
long  holiday  with  novelties  so  many  that  at  last  the  senses 
did  not  answer.  Perhaps  the  Indians  felt  it  too.  Often  and 
often  have  I  seen  great  wisdom  guide  the  Admiral.  An 
hour  before  approaching  night  might  have  said  "  Go !  "  he 
took  us  one  and  all  back  to  the  ships.  "  Salve  Regina  "  was 
a  sound  that  evening  to  hear,  and  afterwards  it  was  to 
sleep,  sleep,  —  tired  as  from  the  Fair  at  Seville ! 


[107] 


CHAPTER  XVI 

AT  first,  the  day  before,  we  had  not  made  out  that  the 
Indians  had  boats.  Later,  straying  here  and  there, 
we  had  seen  them  drawn  upon  the  shore  and  covered 
with  boughs  of  trees.  They  called  them  "  canoes  ",  made 
them,  large  and  small,  out  of  trunks  of  trees,  hollowed  by 
fire,  and  with  their  stone  knives.  We  had  seen  one  copper 
knife.  Asked  about  that,  they  pointed  to  the  south  and 
seemed  to  say  that  yonder  dwelled  men  who  had  all  they 
wished  of  most  things. 

From  dark  the  east  grew  pale,  from  pallor  put  on  roses. 
This  day  no  mariner  grumbled  at  the  call  to  awake.  Here 
still  lay  our  Fortunate  Isle,  our  San  Salvador;  here  our 
ivory  beach,  our  green  wood.  Up  went  the  little  curls  of 
smoke. 

We  had  breakfast.  So  great  was  now  the  deference  to 
him  who  three  days  ago  had  been  "  madman  "  and  "  black 
magician  ",  "  dreaming  fool  "  and  "  spinner  without  thread !  " 
Now  it  was  "  Admiral  ",  "  Excellency  ",  and  "  What  shall 
we  do  next  ?  "  and  "  What  is  your  opinion,  sir  ?  " 

The  immediate  thing  to  do  proved  to  be  to  come  forth 
from  cabin  and  mark  the  beach  thronging  with  thrice  the 
number  of  yesterday,  and  the  canoes  putting  off  to  us.  We 
counted  eight.  Only  one  was  a  long  craft,  holding  twenty 
men;  the  others  came  in  cockle  boats,  with  one  or  two  or 
three.  Not  only  canoes,  but  they  came  swimming,  men  and 
boys,  all  a  dark  grace  in  the  cerulean,  lucid  sea.  They  were 
so  fearless  — :  for  we  came  from  heaven  and  would  not  harm 

[108] 


149Q 


them.  We  were  going  to  make  them  rich;  we  were  going 
to  "  save  "  them. 

A  score  perhaps  were  helped  aboard  the  Santa  Maria. 
The  Pinta,  the  Nina,  had  others.  They  were  like  children, 
touching,  staring,  excitedly  talking  and  gesturing  among 
themselves,  or  gazing  in  a  kind  of  fixed  awe,  asking  of  the 
least  sailor  with  all  reverence,  bowing  themselves  before  the 
Admiral,  the  over-god.  The  Admiral  moved  richly  dressed, 
rapt  and  benignant,  yet  sparing  a  part  of  himself  to  keep 
all  order,  measure,  Tightness  on  the  ship,  and  another  part 
to  find  out  with  keen  pains,  "  What  of  other  lands  ?  What 
of  folk  who  must  be  your  superiors  ?  " 

They  had  brought  offerings.  Half  a  dozen  parrots  perched 
around,  very  gorgeously  colored,  loquacious  in  a  speech  we 
did  not  know.  We  had  stacks  of  the  large  round  thin 
cakes  baked  on  stones  which  afterwards  we  called  cassava, 
and  great  gourds,  "  calabashes  "  filled  with  fruit,  and  balls 
of  cotton  in  a  rude  thread.  We  gave  beads,  bits  of  cloth, 
little  purses,  and  the  small  bells  that  caused  extravagant 
delight.  But  ever  the  Admiral  looked  for  signs  of  gold, 
for  he  must  find  for  princes  and  nobles  and  merchants  gold 
or  silver,  or  precious  stones  or  spice,  or  all  together.  If  he 
found  them  not,  half  his  fortunes  fell;  a  half-wind  only 
would  henceforth  fill  his  sails. 

And  at  last  came  in  a  canoe  with  three  a  young  Indian 
who  wore  in  his  ear  a  knob  of  gold.  Roderigo  Sanchez 
saw  this  first  and  brought  him  to  the  Admiral.  The  latter, 
taking  up  an  armlet  of  green  glass  and  a  hawk  bell,  touched 
the  gold  in  the  ear.  "  Do  you  trade  ?  "  Glad  enough  was 
the  Indian  to  trade.  It  lay  in  the  Admiral's  palm,  a  piece 
of  gold  as  great  as  a  filbert. 

Juan  Lepe  watched  him  make  inquisition,  Diego  de 
Arana,  Sanchez  and  Escobedo  at  his  elbow.  He  did  it 
to  admiration,  with  look,  gesture  and  tone  ably  translating 
his  words.  "  Gold  —  gold  ?  "  The  Indian  said,  or  we  put 
down  in  this  wise  what  he  said,  "  Harac." 

Was  there  more  harac  on  the  island?  We  would  give 
[1091 


heavenly  things  for  harac.  The  Indian  was  doubtful;  he 
thought  proudly  that  he  had  the  only  harac.  "  Where  did 
he  get  it  ?  "  He  indicated  the  south. 

"Little  island  like  this  one?" 

"  No.  Great  land.  Harac  there  in  many  ears.  Much 
harac." 

So  we  understood  him.  "  Cipango !  "  breathed  the  Admiral. 
"  Or  neighbor  to  Cipango,  increasingly  rich  and  civilized 
as  we  go." 

He  took  a  case  of  small  boxes,  each  box  filled  with  mer 
chandise  of  spice  which  he  desired.  Cinnamon,  nutmeg, 
pepper,  saffron,  cloves  and  others.  He  made  the  islander 
smell  and  taste.  "Had  they  aught  like  these?" 

The  Indian  seemed  to  say  they  had  not,  but  would  like 
to  have.  He  looked  about  for  something  with  which  to 
trade,  a  parrot,  or  heap  of  cakes,  or  ball  of  cotton.  I 
thought  that  it  was  the  box  of  boxes  that  he  extremely 
wished,  but  the  Admiral  thought  it  was  the  spicery,  and 
that  he  must  have  known  them  wherever  he  got  the  gold. 
"  Were  they  found  yonder  ?  " 

The  Admiral  stretched  arm  out  over  blue  sea  and  the 
Indian  followed  his  gesture.  He  shot  out  his  own  arm, 
"  South  —  southwest  —  west,"  nodded  the  Admiral.  "  Many 
islands,  or  the  mainland.  Gates  open  before  us !  " 

"  Had  the  Indian  been  to  these  lands  ?  "  No,  it  seemed, 
but  one  had  come  in  a  boat,  wearing  this  knob  of  gold, 
and  he  had  told  them.  Was  he  living?  No,  he  was  not 
living.  What  kind  of  a  person  was  he?  Such  as  us? 
Emphatically  no.  Not  such  as  us!  Much,  we  gathered,  as 
was  the  Indian  himself.  "  Pearls  have  come  from  Queen's 
neck  to  Queen's  neck,"  quoth  the  Admiral,  "by  a  thousand 
rude  hands  and  twisting  ways ! " 

There  was  one  woman  among  the  visitors  to  the  Santa 
Maria,  a  young  woman,  naked,  freely  moving  and  smiling. 
Eyes  dwelled  on  her,  eyes  followed  her.  She  was  with  an 
Indian  who  might  be  brother  or  husband.  The  Admiral 
gave  her  a  worked,  Moorish  scarf.  She  tied  it  about  her 

[110] 


head,  and  the  bright  ends  fell  down  beside  her  long,  black, 
braided  hair.  None  touched  her,  but  they  were  woman- 
starved,  and  they  looked  at  her  hungrily.  She  had  beauty 
in  her  way,  and  a  kind  of  innocence  both  frank  and  shy. 
She  was  like  a  doe  in  the  green  forest,  come  silently  upon 
at  dawn. 

Fed  full  of  marvel  at  last,  these  Indians  left  us.  But 
no  sooner  had  they  reached  land  and  told  of  great  kindness 
on  the  part  of  the  inhabitants  of  heaven  than  other  canoes 
and  other  swimmers  put  forth.  This  might  go  on  all  day, 
so  we  checked  it  by  ourselves  going  ashore. 

This  day  we  filled  our  water  casks  and  took  aboard  much 
fruit  and  all  the  cakes  that  they  brought  us.  Moreover 
we  explored  the  island,  finding  two  villages  of  a  piece  with 
the  first,  and  in  the  middle  land  a  fair  pool  of  water.  This 
day  like  yesterday  was  blissful  wine. 

All  blessed  Christopherus  Columbus.  No  man  now  but, 
for  a  while,  did  his  bidding  with  an  open  heart. 

In  the  morning  we  sailed  away,  not  without  plentiful 
promises  of  return.  When  we  put  up  our  white  sails  they 
cried  out  and  pointed  to  the  cloud  sierra.  No !  We  would 
not  go  back  to  heaven  —  or  if  we  did  so  we  would  come 
again,  loving  so  our  gentle  friends  upon  earth !  We  sailed, 
and  in  all  our  after  wanderings  we  never  came  back  to  this 
island.  And  never  again,  I  think,  while  Columbus  voyaged, 
did  there  come  to  us  just  the  bright,  exquisite  thrill  of  that 
first  land  after  long  doubt  and  no  land.  San  Salvador  — 
Holy  Saviour  Island! 


cm] 


CHAPTER  XVII 

WE  were  in  a  throng  of  islands.     We  might  drop  all 
for  a  little  while,  then  from  masthead  "  Land  ho !  " 
None  were  great  islands,  many  far  smaller  than 
San  Salvador.     At  night  we  lay  to,  not  knowing  currents 
and  shoals;  then  broke  the  day  and  we  flung  out  sail. 

We  had  with  us  upon  the  Santa  Maria  three  San  Salva 
dor  men.  They  had  come  willingly,  two  young,  fearless 
men,  and  one  old  man  with  a  wrinkled,  wise,  interested 
face.  Assiduous  to  gain  their  tongue  and  impart  our  own, 
the  Admiral,  beside  his  own  effort,  told  off  for  especial 
teachers  and  scholars  Luis  Torres  and  Juan  Lepe.  We 
did  gain  knowledge,  but  as  yet  everything  was  imper 
fect,  without  fine  shading,  and  subject  to  all  miscompre 
hension.  But  like  the  rest  of  us,  the  Admiral  guessed  in 
accordance  with  his  wishes  and  his  previous  belief. 

All  these  islands  lay  flat  or  almost  flat  upon  the  sea.  All 
showed  ivory  beach,  vivid  wood,  surrounding  water,  trans 
parent  and  heavenly  blue,  inhabited  by  magically  colored 
fish.  When  we  dropped  anchor,  took  boat  and  landed,  it 
was  to  find  the  same  astonished  folk,  naked,  harmless,  hold 
ing  us  for  gods,  bringing  all  they  had,  eager  for  our  toys 
which  were  to  them  king's  treasures  and  holy  relics.  Every 
island  the  Admiral  named;  he  gave  them  goodly  names! 
Over  and  over  the  Indians  pointed  south  and  west.  We 
understood  great  lands,  clothed  men,  much  gold.  But  when 
we  next  came  to  anchor,  like  small  island,  like  men,  women 
and  children.  We  traded  for  a  few  more  knobs  of  gold, 
but  they  were  few. 

[112] 


Toscanelli's  map  and  the  Admiral's  map  lay  on  cabin 
table.  "  Islands  in  the  Sea  of  Chin — -Polo  and  Mandeville 
alike  say  thousands  —  all  grades  then  of  advance.  Beyond 
any  manner  of  doubt,  persevering  west  or  west  by  south, 
we  shall  come  to  main  Asia."  So  long  as  he  ruled,  there 
would  be  perseverance! 

At  Santa  Maria  de  la  Concepcion  a  solitary  large  canoe 
crowded  with  Indians  was  rowing  toward  us.  One  of  the 
San  Salvador  young  men  aboard  us  fancied  some  slight, 
experienced  some  fear,  or  may  even,  —  who  knows  ?  —  have 
wearied  of  the  gods.  Springing  upon  the  rail  he  threw 
himself  into  sea  and  made  off  with  great  strokes  toward  the 
canoe.  Pedro  behind  him  shouted  "  Escape !  "  There  was 
a  rush  to  the  side  to  observe.  Fernando  bawled,  "  Come 
back !  or  we'll  let  fly  an  arrow !  " 

He  swam,  the  dark,  naked  fellow,  like  a  fish.  Reaching 
the  canoe,  the  Indians  there  took  him  in ;  he  seemed  to  have 
a  tale  to  tell,  they  all  broke  into  talk,  the  canoe  went  round, 
they  rowed  fast  back  to  land.  The  Nina,  lying  near  us,  had 
her  boat  filling  to  go  ashore.  Her  men  had  seen  the  leap 
overboard  and  the  swimmer.  Now  they  put  after,  rowing 
hard  for  the  canoe,  that  having  the  start  came  first  to  beach. 
The  Indians  sprang  out,  the  San  Salvador  man  with  them. 
Leaving  canoe,  they  ran  across  sand  into  wood.  The  Nina's 
men  took  the  canoe  and  brought  it  to  the  Santa  Maria.  In 
it  were  balls  of  cotton  and  calabashes  filled  with  fruit  and  a 
chattering  parrot.  It  was  the  first  thing  of  this  kind  that 
had  happened,  and  the  Admiral's  face  was  wrathful.  He 
had  a  simple,  kindly  heart,  and  though  he  could  be  vexed 
or  irritated,  he  rarely  broke  into  furious  anger.  But  first 
and  last  he  desired  peaceful  absorption,  if  by  any  means 
that  were  possible,  of  these  countries.  We  absorbing  them, 
they  absorbing  us;  both  the  gainers!  And  he  had  warm 
feeling  of  romance-love  for  all  this  that  he  was  finding. 
He  saw  all  his  enterprise  milk-white,  rose-bright.  And  his 
pride  was  touched  that  the  Indian  who  had  seemed  contented 
had  not  truly  been  so,  and  that  the  Nina's  men  had  dis- 

[113] 


obeyed  strict  commands  for  friendliness.  He  would  restore 
that  content  if  possible,  and  he  would  have  no  more  un 
ordered  chasing  of  canoes.  The  Nina's  men  got  anger  and 
rebuke,  Captain  Cristoforo  Colombo  mounting  up  in  the 
Admiral. 

He  would  let  nothing  in  the  canoe  be  touched.  Instead 
he  had  placed  aboard  a  pot  of  honey  and  a  flask  of  wine 
and  three  pieces  of  cloth,  then  with  a  strong  shove  it  was 
sent  landward,  and  the  tide  making  in,  it  came  to  shore. 
We  saw  two  venture  from  the  wood  and  draw  it  up  on 
beach. 

In  a  little  while  came  around  a  point  of  shore  a  canoe 
with  one  Indian  who  made  toward  us,  using  his  oar  very 
dexterously,  and  when  he  entered  our  shadow  holding  up 
cotton  and  fruit.  It  was  to  be  seen  that  he  had  had  no  com 
munication  with  the  men  of  the  large  canoe. 

The  Admiral  himself  called  out  encouragingly  and  snatch 
ing  the  first  small  thing  at  hand  held  it  up.  The  Indian 
scrambled  on  board.  He  stood,  as  fine  a  piece  of  bronze 
as  any  might  see,  before  the  Genoese,  as  great  a  figure  as 
might  be  found  in  all  Italy  —  all  Spain  —  all  Europe. 

The  elder  touched  the  younger,  the  white  man  the  red 
man,  as  a  king,  a  father,  might  have  touched  a  prince,  a 
son.  He  himself  took  the  youth  over  our  ship,  showing 
him  this,  showing  him  that,  had  the  music  play  for  him, 
brought  him  to  Fray  Ignatio  who  talked  of  Christ,  point 
ing  oft  to  heaven.  (To  my  thinking  this  action,  often  re 
peated,  was  one  of  the  things  that  for  so  long  made  them 
certain  we  had  come  from  the  skies.)  In  the  cabin  he 
gave  the  Indian  a  cup  of  wine  and  a  biscuit  dipped  in  honey. 
He  gave  him  a  silken  cap  with  a  tassel  and  himself  put 
round  his  throat  one  of  our  best  strings  of  beads,  and  into 
his  hand  not  one  but  three  of  the  much-coveted  hawk  bells. 
He  was  kinder  than  rain  after  drought.  First  and  last,  he 
could  well  lend  himself  to  the  policy  of  kindness,  for  it  was 
not  lending.  Kindness  was  his  nature. 

In  an  hour  this  Indian,  returned  to  his  canoe,  was  row- 

[114] 


149Q 


ing  toward  shore  with  a  swelling  heart  and  a  determined 
loyalty.  He  touched  the  island,  and  we  could  trust  him  to 
be  missionary,  preaching  with  all  fervor  of  heaven  and  the 
gods. 

Ay,  me! 

Whatever  the  other's  defection,  he  more  than  covered  it, 
the  return  of  the  canoe  aiding.  Santa  Maria  de  la  Con- 
cepcion  became  again  friendly.  But  the  Admiral  that  even 
ing  gave  emphatic  instruction  to  Martin  and  Vicente  Pinzon 
and  all  the  gathered  Spaniards.  Just  here,  I  think,  began 
the  rift  between  him  and  many.  Many  would  have  by  prompt 
taking,  as  they  take  in  war.  Were  not  all  these  heathen 
and  given?  But  he  would  have  another  way  round,  though 
often  he  compromised  with  war;  never  wanting  war  but 
forced  by  his  time  and  his  companions.  Sometimes,  in  the 
future,  forced  by  the  people  we  came  among,  but  far 
oftener  forced  by  greed  and  lust  and  violence  of  our  own. 
Alas,  again !  Alas,  again  and  again ! 

After  Santa  Maria  de  la  Concepcion,  Fernandina,  and 
after  Fernandina  the  most  beautiful  of  islands,  Isabella, 
where  we  lay  three  days.  People  upon  this  island  seemed 
to  us  more  civilized  than  the  Salvador  folk.  The  cotton 
was  woven,  loin  cloths  were  worn,  they  had  greater  variety 
of  calabashes,  the  huts  were  larger,  the  villages  more  reg 
ular.  They  slept  in  "  hamacs  "  which  are  stout  and  wide 
cotton  nets  slung  between  posts,  two  or  three  feet  above 
earth.  Light,  space-giving,  easy  of  removal,  these  beds 
greatly  took  our  fancy. 

Here  we  sought  determinedly  for  spice-giving  trees  and 
medicinal  herbs  and  roots.  It  was  not  a  spicery  such  as 
Europe  depended  upon,  but  still  certain  things  seemed  val 
uable!  We  gathered  here  and  gathered  there  what  might 
be  taken  to  Spain.  There  grew  an  emulation  to  find.  The 
Admiral  offered  prizes  for  such  and  such  a  commodity 
come  upon. 

We  sailed  from  Isabella  and  after  three  days  came  to 
Cuba. 

[115] 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

CUBA!  At  first  he  called  it  Juana,  but  we  came  after 
wards  still  to  use  the  Indian  name.  Cuba!  We  saw 
it  after  three  days,  and  it  was  little  enough  like 
Isabella,  Fernandina,  Concepcion,  San  Salvador  and  the 
islets  the  Admiral  called  Isles  de  Arena.  It  covered  all  our 
south,  no  level,  shining  thing  that  masthead  could  see  around, 
but  a  mighty  coast  line,  mountainous,  with  headlands  and 
bays  and  river  mouths.  Now  after  long  years,  I  who  out 
live  the  Admiral,  know  it  for  an  island,  but  how  could  he 
or  I  or  any  know  that  in  November  fourteen  hundred  and 
ninety-two?  He  never  believed  it  an  island. 

He  stood  on  deck  watching.  "  Cuba  —  Cuba !  Have  you 
not  read  of  Cublai  Khan  ?  The  sounds  chime ! " 

"  Cublai  Khan.    He  lives  in  Quinsai." 

"Ay.  His  splendid,  capital  city.  Buildings  all  wonder 
ful,  and  gardens  like  Mahound's  paradise !  " 

"But  if  it  is  Cipango?" 

"  Ay.  It  may  be  Cipango.  We  have  no  angel  here  to  tell 
us  which.  I  would  one  would  fly  down  and  take  us  by  the 
hand!  Being  men,  we  must  make  guesses." 

Beautiful  to  us,  splendid  to  us,  was  this  coast  of  Cuba! 
We  sailed  by  headlands  and  deep,  narrow-necked  bays,  river 
mouths  and  hanging  forests  and  bold  cliffs.  We  sailed  west 
and  still  headland  followed  headland,  and  still  the  lookout 
cried,  "  It  stretched  forever  like  the  main !  " 

We  came  to  a  river  where  ships  might  ride.  Sounding, 
we  found  deep  water,  entered  river  mouth  and  dropped 

[116] 


149Q 


anchor,  then  went  ashore  in  the  boats.  Palms  and  their 
water  doubles,  and  in  the  grove  a  small  abandoned  village. 
We  had  seen  the  people  flee  before  us,  and  they  were  no 
more  nor  other  kind  of  people  than  had  showed  in  Concep- 
cion  or  Fernandina.  Yet  were  they  a  little  wealthier.  We 
found  parrots  on  their  perches,  and  two  dogs,  small  and 
wolf-like  that  never  barked.  In  one  hut  lay  a  harpoon 
tipped  with  bone,  and  a  net  for  fishing.  In  another  we 
found  a  wrought  block  of  wood  which  Fray  Ignatio  pro 
nounced  their  idol. 

We  went  back  to  our  ships,  and  leaving  river,  sailed  on 
in  a  bright  blue  sea.  The  next  day  we  doubled  a  cape  and 
found  a  great  haven,  but  silent  and  sailless,  with  no  maritime 
city  thronging  the  shore.  What  was  this  world,  so  huge,  so 
sparely,  rudely  peopled? 

We  came  to  anchor  close  under  shore  in  this  haven. 
Again  the  marvelous  water,  but  now  it  laved  a  bold  and 
great  country!  We  landed.  Canoes  fastened  in  a  row, 
another  village,  most  of  the  folk  decamped,  but  a  few 
brave  men  and  women  tarrying  to  find  out  something  about 
heaven  and  its  inmates.  With  toys  again  and  pacific  ges 
tures  we  wiled  them  to  us. 

There  was  upon  the  Santa  Maria  a  young  Indian  who 
had  chosen  to  come  with  us  from  Fernandina.  He  had  cour 
age  and  intelligence,  was  willing  to  receive  instruction  and 
baptism  from  Fray  Ignatio,  and  first  and  last  followed  the 
Admiral  with  devotion.  The  latter  had  him  christened 
Diego  Colon.  We  taught  him  Spanish  as  fast  and  soundly  as 
we  might,  and  used  him  as  interpreter.  The  tongue  of  his 
island  was  not  just  the  tongue  of  Cuba,  but  near  enough  to 
serve.  All  these  Indians  have  a  gift  of  oratory  and  dote  to 
speak  at  length,  '•  with  firm  voice  and  great  gestures.  Now 
we  set  Diego  Colon  to  his  narration.  We  of  Castile  had  so 
much  of  the  tongue  by  now  that  we  could  in  some  wise 
follow. 

Forth  it  poured!  We  were  gods  come  from  heaven. 
Yonder  stood  the  chief  god  that  the  others  obeyed.  He 

[117] 


was  very  great,  strong,  good,  wise,  kind,  giving  beautiful 
gifts!  We  were  all  kind  —  no  one  was  going  to  be  hurt. 
We  made  magic  with  harac  —  which  we  called  "  gold.'* 
In  heaven  was  not  enough  harac.  So  important  is  it  to  the 
best  magic  that  a  chief  god  has  come  to  earth  to  seek  it. 
We  also  liked  cotton  and  things  to  eat,  especially  cassava 
cakes,  and  we  liked  a  very  few  parrots.  But  it  was  gold 
that  in  chief  we  wanted.  The  man  who  brought  the  gods 
gold  might  go  home  with  gifts  so  beautiful  that  there  was 
never  anything  seen  like  them!  Especially  is  there  some 
thing  that  the  gods  call  "  bells "  that  ring  and  sound  in 
your  hand  when  you  dance!  Gold  —  do  you  know  where 
to  find  it?  Another  thing!  They  desire  to  find  a  god  who 
dropped  out  of  the  sky  a  long  time  ago,  and  has  now  a  peo 
ple  and  a  great,  marvelous  village.  Thinking  he  might  be 
here,  they  have  dived  down  to  our  land,  for  they  dive  in 
the  sky  as  we  dive  in  water!  The  name  of  the  god  they 
hunt  is  Grand  Khan  or  Cublai  Khan,  and  his  village  is 
Quinsai.  Have  you  heard  of  him?  They  are  very  anxious 
to  find  him.  The  chief  god  with  white  hair  and  wonderful 
clothes  —  It  is  what  they  call  clothes ;  under  it  they  are  as 
you  and  me,  only  the  color  is  different  —  the  chief  god  will 
give  many  bells  to  any  folk  who  can  show  him  the  way  to 
Quinsai.  Gold  and  Quinsai  where  lives  the  god  Grand 
Khan." 

As  might  have  been  expected,  this  brought  tidings.  "  Cu- 
banacan !  Cubanacan !  "  Whatever  that  might  mean,  they 
said  it  with  assurance,  pointing  inland.  Diego  Colon  in 
terrupted  their  further  speech.  "  There  is  a  river.  Go  up 
it  three  days  and  come  to  great  village.  Cacique  there 
wearing  clothes.  All  men  there  have  gold ! " 

Pedro  Gutierrez  spoke.  "  They'll  promise  anything  for  a 
hawk  bell!" 

"  What  do  they  understand  and  what  do  they  not  under 
stand  ?  What  do  they  say  and  what  do  they  not  say  ? " 
That  was  Martin  Pinzon.  "  Between  them  all  we  are 
fooled!" 

[118] 


1490 


The  Admiral,  who  was  gazing  inland  after  the  dark 
pointing  finger,  turned  and  spoke.  "  At  the  root  of  all 
things  sit  Patience  and  Make  Trial !  " 

"  Well,  I  know,"  answered  Pinzon,  "  that  if  these  ships 
be  not  careened  and  mended  we  shall  have  trouble !  Weather 
changes.  There  will  be  storm !  " 

He  was  right  as  to  ships  and  weather,  and  the  Admiral 
knew  it  and  said  as  much.  I  never  saw  him  grudge  recog 
nition  to  Martin  Pinzon.  It  has  been  said  that  he  did,  but 
I  never  saw  it. 

That  night,  on  board  the  Santa  Maria  there  was  held  a 
great  council.  At  last  it  was  settled  that  we  should  rest 
here  a  week  and  overhaul  the  ships,  and  that  while  that 
was  doing,  there  should  be  sent  two  or  three  with  Indian 
guides  to  find,  if  might  be,  this  river  and  this  town. 
And  there  were  chosen,  and  given  a  week  to  go  and  come, 
Juan  Lepe,  Luis  Torres  and  a  seaman  Roderigo  Jerez, 
with  Diego  Colon,  the  Fernandina  youth.  Likewise  there 
would  go  two  Indians  of  this  village,  blithe  enough  to 
show  their  country  to  the  gods  and  the  gods  to  their  coun 
try. 

The  next  day  being  Sunday,  Fray  Ignatio  preached  a  ser 
mon  to  the  Indians.  He  assumed,  and  at  this  time  I  think 
the  Admiral  assumed,  that  these  folk  had  no  religion.  That 
was  a  mistake.  I  doubt  if  on  earth  can  be  found  a  people 
without  religion. 

Men  and  women  they  watched  and  listened,  still,  attentive, 
knowing  that  it  had  somehow  to  do  with  heaven.  After 
sermon  and  after  we  had  prayed  and  sung,  we  fashioned 
and  set  up  a  great  cross  upon  cliff  brow.  Again  the  In 
dians  watched  and  seemed  to  have  some  notion  of  what  we 
did. 

The  remainder  of  the  day  we  rested,  and  on  Monday 
early  Roderigo  Jerez,  Luis  Torres  and  Juan  Lepe  with 
Diego  Colon  and  two  Cuba  men  made  departure.  We  had 
a  pack  of  presents  and  a  letter  from  the  Admiral.  For  we 
might  meet  some  administrator  or  commandant  or  other, 

[119] 


from  Quinsai  or  Zaiton  or  we  knew  not  where.  This  was 
the  first  of  many  —  ah,  so  many  —  expeditions,  separations 
from  main  body  and  return,  or  not  return,  as  the  case 
might  be! 


[120] 


CHAPTER  XIX 

FOREST  endless  and  splendid!  We  white  men  often 
saw  no  path,  but  the  red-brown  men  saw  it.  It  ran 
level,  it  climbed,  it  descended;  then  began  the  three 
again.  It  was  lost,  it  was  found.  They  said,  "  Here  — 
path !  "  But  we  had  to  serpent  through  thickets,  or  make 
way  on  edge  of  dizzy  crag,  or  find  footing  through  morass. 
We  came  to  great  stretches  of  reeds  and  yielding  grass, 
giving  with  every  step  into  water.  It  was  to  toil  through 
this  under  hot  sun,  with  stinging  clouds  of  insects.  But 
when  they  were  left  behind  we  might  step  into  a  grove  of 
the  gods,  such  firmness,  such  pleasantness,  such  shady  going 
or  happy  resting  under  trees  that  dropped  fruit. 

We  met  no  great  forest  beasts.  There  seemed  to  be  none 
in  this  part  of  Asia.  And  yet  Luis  and  I  had  read  of  great 
beasts.  Dogs  of  no  considerable  size  were  the  largest  four- 
footed  things  we  had  come  upon  from  San  Salvador  to 
Cuba.  There  were  what  they  called  ut'ias,  like  a  rabbit, 
much  used  for  food,  and  twice  we  had  seen  an  animal  the 
size  of  a  fox  hanging  from  a  bough  by  its  tail. 

If  the  beasts  were  few  the  birds  were  many.  To  see  the 
parrots  great  and  small  and  gorgeously  colored,  to  see  those 
small,  small  birds  like  tossed  jewels  that  never  sang  but 
hummed  like  a  bee,  to  hear  a  gray  bird  sing  clear  and  loud 
and  sweet  every  strain  that  sang  other  birds,  was  to  see 
and  hear  most  joyous  things.  Lizards  were  innumerable; 
at  edge  of  a  marsh  we  met  with  tortoises;  once  we  passed 
coiled  around  a  tree  a  great  serpent.  It  looked  at  us  with 
beady  eyes,  but  the  Indians  said  it  would  not  harm  a  man. 

[121] 


A  thousand,  thousand  butterflies  spread  their  painted  fans. 

The  trees !  so  huge  of  girth  and  height  and  wherever  was 
room  so  spreading,  so  rich  of  grain,  so  full,  I  knew,  of 
strange  virtues!  We  found  one  that  I  thought  was  cinna 
mon,  and  broke  twigs  and  bark  and  put  in  our  great  pouch 
for  the  Admiral.  Only  time  might  tell  the  wealth  of  this 
green  multitude.  I  thought,  "  Here  is  gold,  if  we  would  wait 
for  it ! "  Fruit  trees  sprang  by  our  path.  We  had  with  us 
some  provision  of  biscuit  and  dried  meat,  and  we  never 
lacked  golden  or  purple  delectable  orbs.  We  found  the 
palm  that  bears  the  great  nut,  giving  alike  meat  and 
milk. 

By  now  Luis  Torres  and  I  had  no  little  of  Diego  Colon's 
tongue  and  he  had  Spanish  enough  to  understand  the  sim 
plest  statements  and  orders.  Ferdandina  tongue  was  not 
quite  Cuba  tongue,  but  it  was  like  enough  to  furnish  sea 
room.  We  asked  this,  we  asked  that.  No!  No  one  had 
ever  come  to  the  end  of  their  country.  When  one  town 
was  left  behind,  at  last  you  came  to  another  town.  One 
by  one,  were  they  bigger,  better  towns?  They  seemed  to 
say  that  they  were,  but  here  was  always,  I  thought,  doubt 
ful  understanding.  But  no  one  had  ever  walked  around  their 
country  —  they  seemed  to  laugh  at  the  notion  —  land  that 
way,  always  land !  On  the  other  hand,  there  was  sea  yonder 
—  like  sea  here.  They  pointed  south.  Not  so  far  there! 
"  It  must  be,"  said  Luis,  "  that  Cuba  is  narrow,  though 
without  end  westwardly.  A  great  point  or  tongue  of 
Asia?" 

The  Cubans  were  strong  young  men  and  not  unintelli 
gent.  "  Chiefs  ?  "  Yes,  they  had  chiefs,  they  called'  them 
caciques.  Some  of  them  were  fighters,  they  and  their  peo 
ple.  Not  fighters  like  Caribs !  Whereupon  the  speaker 
rose  —  we  were  resting  under  a  tree  —  and  facing  south, 
used  for  gesture  a  strong  shudder  and  a  movement  as  if  to 
flee. 

South  —  south  —  always  they  pointed  south !  We  were 
going  south  —  inland.  Would  we  come  to  Caribs?  But 

[122] 


149Q 


no.  Caribs  seemed  not  to  be  in  Cuba,  but  beyond  sea,  in 
islands. 

Luis  and  I  made  progress  in  language  and  knowledge. 
Roderigo  Jerez,  a  simple  man,  slept  or  tried  the  many  kinds 
of  fruit,  or  teased  the  slender,  green-flame  lizards. 

We  slept  this  night  high  on  the  mountainside,  on  soft  grass 
near  a  fall  of  water.  The  Indians  showed  no  fear  of  at 
tack  from  man  or  beast.  They  could  make  fire  in  a  most 
ingenious  fashion,  setting  stick  against  larger  stick  and 
turning  the  first  with  such  skill,  vigor  and  persistence  that 
presently  arose  heat,  a  spark,  fire.  But  they  seemed  to  need 
or  wish  no  watch  fire.  They  lay,  naked  and  careless,  inno 
cent-fearless,  as  though  the  whole  land  were  their  castle. 
Luis  tried  to  find  out  how  they  felt  about  dangers.  We 
pieced  together.  "  None  here !  And  the  Great  Lizard  takes 
care !  "  That  was  the  Cuban.  Diego  Colon  said,  "  The 
Great  Turtle  takes  care !  " 

Luis  Torres  laughed.    "  Fray  Ignatio  should  hear  that !  " 

"  It  is  on  the  road,"  I  said  and  went  to  sleep. 

The  second  day's  going  proved  less  difficult  than  the  first. 
Less  difficult  means  difficult  enough  !  And  as  yet  we  had  met 
no  one  nor  anything  that  remotely  favored  golden-roofed 
Cipango,  or  famous,  rich  Quinsai,  or  Zaiton  of  the  marble 
bridges.  Jerez  climbed  a  tall  tree  and  coming  down  re 
ported  forest  and  mountain,  and  naught  else.  Our  com 
panions  watched  with  interest  his  climbing.  "  Do  you  go 
up  trees  in  heaven  ?  " 

This  morning  we  had  bathed  in  a  pool  below  the  little 
waterfall.  Diego  Colon  by  now  was  used  to  us  so,  but  the 
Cuba  men  displayed  excitement.  They  had  not  yet  in  mind 
separated  us  from  our  clothes.  Now  we  were  separated  and 
were  found  in  all  our  members  like  them,  only  the  color  dif 
fering.  Color  and  the  short  beards  of  Luis  Torres  and  Juan 
Lepe.  They  wished  to  touch  and  examine  our  clothes 
lying  upon  the  bank,  but  here  Diego  Colon  interfered. 
They  were  full  of  magic.  Something  terrible  might  hap 
pen!  When  Luis  and  I  came  forth  from  water  and  dried 

[123] 


ourselves  with  handfuls  of  the  warm  grass,  they  asked : 
"  Do  they  do  so  in  heaven  ?  "  The  stronger,  more  intelligent 
of  the  two,  added,  "  It  is  not  so  different !  " 

I  said  to  Luis  as  we  took  path  after  breakfast,  "  It  is 
borne  in  upon  me  that  only  from  ourselves,  Admiral  to 
ship  boy,  can  we  keep  up  this  heaven  ballad!  Clothes, 
beads  and  hawk  bells,  cannon,  harquebus,  trumpet  and 
banner,  ship  and  sails,  royal  letters  and  blessing  of  the  Pope 
—  nothing  will  do  it  long  unless  we  do  it  ourselves ! " 

"  Agreed !  "  quoth  Luis.  "  But  gods  and  angels  are  be 
ginning  to  slip  and  slide,  back  there  by  the  ships !  We  have 
the  less  temptation  here." 

He  began  to  speak  of  a  sailor  and  a  brown  girl  upon 
whom  he  had  stumbled  in  a  close  wood  a  little  way  from 
shore.  She  thought  Tomaso  Pasamonte  was  a  god  wooing 
her  and  was  half -frightened,  half-fain.  "  And  two  hours 
later  I  saw  Don  Pedro  Gutierrez  — " 

"  Ay,"  said  Juan  Lepe.  "  The  same  story !  The  oldest 
that  is !  "  And  as  at  the  word  our  savages,  who  had  been 
talking  together,  now  at  the  next  resting  place  put  forward 
their  boldest,  who  with  great  reverence  asked  if  there  were 
women  in  heaven. 

Through  most  of  this  day  we  struggled  with  a  diffi 
cult  if  fantastically  beautiful  country.  Where  rock  out 
cropped  and  in  the  sands  of  bright  rapid  streams  we  looked 
for  signs  of  that  gold,  so  stressed  as  though  it  were  the 
only  salvation!  But  the  rocks  were  silent,  and  though  in 
the  bed  of  a  shrunken  streamlet  we  found  some  glistening 
particles  and  scraping  them  carefully  together  got  a  small 
spoonful  to  wrap  in  cloth  and  bestow  in  our  pouch  of 
treasures,  still  were  we  not  sure  that  it  was  wholly  gold.  It 
might  be.  We  worked  for  an  hour  for  just  this  pinch. 

Since  yesterday  morning  our  path  had  been  perfectly 
solitary.  Then  suddenly,  when  we  were,  we  thought,  six 
leagues  at  least  from  the  ships,  the  way  turning  and  enter 
ing  a  small  green  dell,  we  came  upon  three  Indians  seated 
resting,  their  backs  to  palm  trees.  We  halted,  they  raised 

[124] 


their  eyes.  They  stared,  they  rose  in  amazement  at  the  sight 
of  those  gods,  Roderigo  Jerez,  Luis  Torres  and  Juan  Lepe. 
They  stood  like  statues  with  great  eyes  and  parted  lips.  For 
us,  coming  silently  upon  them,  we  had  too  our  moment  of 
astonishment. 

They  were  three  copper  men,  naked,  fairly  tall  and  well 
to  look  at.  But  each  had  between  his  lips  what  seemed  a 
brown  stick,  burning  at  the  far  end,  dropping  a  light  ash 
and  sending  up  a  thin  cloud  of  odorous  smoke.  These  burn 
ing  sticks  they  dropped  as  they  rose.  They  had  seemed  so 
silent,  so  contented,  so  happy,  sitting  there  with  backs  to 
trees,  a  firebrand  in  each  mouth,  I  felt  a  love  for  them! 
Luis  thought  the  lighted  sticks  some  rite  of  their  religion, 
but  after  a  while  when  we  came  to  examine  them,  we  found 
them  not  true  stick,  but  some  large,  thickish  brown  leaf 
tightly  twisted  and  pressed  together  and  having  a  pungent, 
not  unpleasing  odor.  We  crumbled  one  in  our  hands  and 
tasted  it.  The  taste  was  also  pungent,  strange,  but  one 
might  grow  to  like  it.  They  called  the  stick  tobacco,  and 
said  they  always  used  it  thus  with  fire,  drinking  in  the  smoke 
and  puffing  it  out  again  as  they  showed  us  through  the 
nostrils.  We  thought  it  a  great  curiosity,  and  so  it  was! 

But  to  them  we  were  unearthly  beings.  The  men  from 
the  sea  told  of  us,  then  as  it  were  introduced  Diego  Colon, 
who  spoke  proudly  with  appropriate  gesture,  loving  always 
his  part  of  herald  Mercury  —  or  rather  of  herald  Mercury's 
herald  —  not  assuming  to  be  god  himself,  but  cherishing 
the  divine  efflux  and  the  importance  it  rayed  upon  him! 

The  three  Indians  quivered  with  a  sense  of  the  great 
adventure !  Their  town  was  yonder.  They  themselves  had 
been  on  the  path  to  such  and  such  a  place,  but  now  would 
they  turn  and  go  with  us,  and  when  we  went  again  to  the 
sea  they,  if  it  were  permitted,  would  accompany  us  and 
view  for  themselves  our  amazing  canoes!  All  this  to  our 
companion.  They  backed  with  great  deference  from  us. 

We  went  with  these  Indians  to  their  town,  evidently  the 
town  which  we  sought.  And  indeed  it  was  larger,  fitter,  a 

[125] 


1492 


more  ordered  community  than  any  we  had  met  this  side 
Ocean-Sea,  though  far,  far  from  travelers'  tales  of  Orient 
cities!  It  was  set  under  trees,  palm  trees  and  others,  by 
the  side  of  a  clear  river.  The  huts  were  larger  than  those 
by  the  sea,  and  set  not  at  random  but  in  rows  with  a  great 
trodden  square  in  the  middle.  From  town  to  river  where 
they  fished  and  where,  under  overhanging  palms,  we  found 
many  canoes,  ran  a  way  wider  than  a  path,  much  like  a 
narrow  road.  But  there  were  no  wheeled  vehicles  nor 
draught  animals.  We  were  to  find  that  in  all  these  lands 
they  on  occasion  carried  their  caciques  or  the  sick  or  hurt 
in  litters  or  palanquins  borne  on  men's  shoulders.  But  for 
carrying,  grinding,  drawing,  they  knew  naught  of  the  wheel. 
It  seemed  strange  that  any  part  of  Asia  should  not  know! 

In  this  town  we  found  the  cacique,  and  with  him  a  butio 
or  priest.  Once,  too,  I  thought,  our  king  and  church  were 
undeveloped  like  these.  We  were  looking  in  these  lands 
upon  the  bud  which  elsewhere  we  knew  in  the  flower.  That 
to  Juan  Lepe  seemed  the  difference  between  them  and  us. 

The  people  swarmed  out  upon  us.  When  the  first  admira 
tion  was  somewhat  over,  when  Diego  Colon  and  the  two 
seaside  men  and  the  Cubans  of  the  burning  sticks  had  made 
explanation,  we  were  swept  with  them  into  their  public 
square  and  to  a  hut  much  larger  than  common  where  we 
found  a  stately  Indian,  the  cacique,  and  an  ancient  wrinkled 
man,  the  butio.  These  met  us  with  their  own  assumption 
of  something  like  godship.  They  had  no  lack  of  manner, 
and  Luis  and  I  had  the  Castilian  to  draw  upon.  Then  came 
presents  and  Diego  Colon  interpreting.  But  as  for  the 
Admiral's  letter,  though  I  showed  it,  it  was  not  understood. 

It  was  gazed  upon  and  touched,  considered  a  heavenly 
rarity  like  the  hawk  bells  we  gave  them,  but  not  read  nor 
tried  to  be  read.  The  writing  upon  it  was  the  natural 
veining  of  some  most  strange  leaf  that  grew  in  heaven,  or 
it  was  the  pattern  miraculously  woven  by  a  miraculous 
workman  with  thread  miraculously  finer  than  their  cotton! 
It  was  strange  that  they  should  have  no  notion  at  all  —  not 

[126] 


even  their  chieftains  and  priests  —  of  writing!  Any  part 
of  Asia,  however  withdrawn,  surely  should  have  tradition 
there,  if  not  practice ! 

In  this  hut  or  lodge,  doored  but  not  windowed,  we  found 
a  kind  of  table  and  seats  fashioned  from  blocks  of  some 
dark  wood  rudely  carved  and  polished.  The  cacique  would 
have  us  seated,  sat  himself  beside  us,  the  butio  at  his  hand. 

There  seemed  no  especial  warrior  class.  We  noted  that, 
it  being  one  of  the  things  it  was  ever  in  order  to  note.  No 
particular  band  of  fighting  men  stood  about  that  block 
of  polished  wood,  that  was  essentially  throne  or  chair  of 
state.  The  village  owned  slender,  bone  or  flint-headed  lances, 
but  these  rested  idly  in  corners.  Upon  occasion  all  or  any 
might  use  them,  but  there  was  no  evidence  that  those  occa 
sions  came  often.  There  was  no  body  of  troops,  nor  armor, 
no  shields,  no  crossbows,  no  swords.  They  had  knives, 
rudely  made  of  some  hard  stone,  but  it  seemed  that  they 
were  made  for  hunting  and  felling  and  dividing.  No  cloth 
ing  hid  from  us  any  frame.  The  cacique  had  about  his  mid 
dle  a  girdle  of  wrought  cotton  with  worked  ends  and  some 
of  the  women  wore  as  slight  a  dress,  but  that  was  all.  They 
were  formed  well,  all  of  them,  lithe  and  slender,  not  lacking 
either  in  sinew  and  muscle,  but  it  was  sinew  and  muscle  of 
the  free,  graceful,  wild  world,  not  brawn  of  bowman  and 
pikeman  and  swordman  and  knight  with  his  heavy  lance. 
In  something  they  might  be  like  the  Moor  when  one  saw 
him  naked,  but  the  Moor,  too,  was  perfected  in  arms,  and 
so  they  were  not  like. 

We  did  not  know  as  yet  if  ever  there  were  winter  in  this 
land.  It  seemed  perpetual,  serene  and  perfect  summer.  Be 
hind  these  huts  ran  small  gardens  wherein  were  set  melons 
and  a  large  pepper  of  which  we  grew  fond,  and  a  nourish 
ing  root,  and  other  plants.  But  the  soil  was  rich,  rich,  and 
they  loosened  and  furrowed  it  with  a  sharpened  stick.  There 
were  no  great  forest  beasts  to  set  them  sternly  hunting. 
What  then  could  give  them  toil?  Not  gathering  the  always 
falling  fruit;  not  cutting  from  the  trees  and  drying  the 

[127] 


1492 


calabashes,  great  and  small,  that  they  used  for  all  manner 
of  receptacle;  not  drawing  out  with  a  line  of  some  stouter 
fiber  than  cotton  and  with  a  hook  of  bone  or  thorn  the 
painted  fish  from  their  crystal  water!  To  fell  trees  for 
canoes,  to  hollow  the  canoe,  was  labor,  as  was  the  building 
of  their  huts,  but  divided  among  so  many  it  became  light 
labor.  In  those  days  we  saw  no  Indian  figure  bowed  with 
toil,  and  when  it  came  it  was  not  the  Indian  who  imposed 
it. 

But  they  swam,  they  rowed  their  canoes,  they  hunted  in 
their  not  arduous  fashion,  they  roved  afar  in  their  country 
at  peace,  and  they  danced.  That  last  was  their  fair,  their 
games,  their  tourney,  their  pilgrimage,  their  processions  to 
church,  their  attendance  at  mass,  their  expression  of  any 
thing  else  that  they  felt  altogether  and  at  once !  It  was  like 
children's  play,  renewed  forever,  and  forever  with  zest.  But 
they  did  not  treat  it  as  play.  We  had  been  showed  dances 
in  Concepcion  and  Isabella,  but  here  in  Cuba,  in  this  inland 
town,  Jerez  and  Luis  and  I  were  given  to  see  a  great  and 
formal  dance,  arranged  all  in  honor  of  us,  gods  descended 
for  our  own  reasons  to  mix  with  men !  They  danced  in  the 
square,  but  first  they  made  us  a  feast  with  hutias  and  cassava 
and  fish  and  fruit  and  a  drink  not  unlike  mead,  exhilarating 
but  not  bestowing  drunkenness.  Grapes  were  all  over  these 
lands,  purple  clusters  hanging  high  and  low,  but  they  knew 
not  wine. 

Men  and  women  danced,  now  in  separate  bands,  now 
mingled  together.  Decorum  was  kept.  We  afterwards 
knew  that  it  had  been  a  religious  dance.  They  had  war 
dances,  hunting  dances,  dances  at  the  planting  of  their  corn, 
ghost  dances  and  others.  This  now  was  a  thing  to  watch, 
like  a  beautiful  masque.  They  were  very  graceful,  very  sup 
ple  ;  they  had  their  own  dignity. 

We  learned  much  in  the  three  days  we  spent  in  this  town. 
Men  and  women  for  instance !  That  nakedness  of  the  body, 
that  free  and  public  mingling,  going  about  work  and  ad 
venture  and  play  together,  worked,  thought  Juan  Lepe  no 

[128] 


harm.  Later  on  in  this  vast  adventure  of  a  new  world, 
some  of  our  churchmen  were  given  to  asserting  that  they 
lived  like  animals,  though  the  animals  also  are  there  slan 
dered!  The  women  were  free  and  complaisant;  there  were 
many  children  about.  But  matings,  I  thought,  occurred 
only  of  free  and  mutual  desire,  and  not  more  frequently 
than  in  other  countries.  The  women  were  not  without  mod 
esty,  nor  the  men  without  a  pale  chivalry.  At  first  I  thought 
constraint  or  rule  did  not  enter  in,  but  after  a  talk  with  their 
priest  through  Diego  Colon,  I  gathered  that  there  prevailed 
tribe  and  kinship  restraints.  Later  we  were  to  find  that  a 
great  network  of  "  thou  shalt "  and  "  thou  shalt  not "  ran 
through  their  total  society,  wherever  or  to  what  members 
it  might  extend.  Common  good,  or  what  was  supposed  to 
be  common  good,  was  the  master  here  as  it  is  everywhere! 
The  women  worked  the  gardens,  the  men  hunted ;  both  men 
and  women  fished.  Women  might  be  caciques.  There  were 
women  caciques,  they  said,  farther  on  in  their  land.  And  it 
seemed  to  us  that  name  and  family  were  counted  from  the 
mother's  side. 

The  Admiral  had  solemnly  laid  it  upon  us  to  discover  the 
polity  of  this  new  world.  If  they  held  fief  from  fief,  then 
at  last  we  must  come  through  however  many  overlords  to 
the  seigneur  of  them  all,  Grand  Khan  or  Emperor.  We 
applied  ourselves  to  cacique  and  butio,  but  we  found  no 
Grand  Seigneur.  There  were  other  caciques.  When  the 
Caribs  descended  they  banded  together.  They  had  dimly, 
we  thought,  the  idea  of  a  war-lord.  But  it  ended  there,  when 
the  war  ended.  Tribute:  He  found  they  had  no  idea  of 
tribute.  Cotton  grew  everywhere!  Cotton,  cassava,  cala-» 
bashes,  all  things!  When  they  visited  a  cacique  they  took 
him  gifts,  and  at  parting  he  gave  them  gifts.  That  was  all. 

Gold  ?  They  knew  of  it.  When  they  found  a  bit  they  kept 
it  for  ornament.  The  cacique  possessed  a  piece  the  size 
of  a  ducat,  suspended  by  a  string  of  cotton.  It  had  been 
given  to  him  by  a  cacique  who  lived  on  the  great  water. 
Perhaps  he  took  it  from  the  Caribs.  But  it  was  in  the  moun- 

[129] 


tains,  too.  He  indicated  the  heights  beyond.  Sometimes 
they  scraped  it  from  sand  under  the  stream.  He  seemed  in 
different  to  it.  But  Diego  Colon,  coming  in,  said  that  it 
was  much  prized  in  heaven,  being  used  for  high  magic,  and 
that  we  would  give  heavenly  gifts  for  it.  Resulted  from  that 
the  production  in  an  hour  of  every  shining  flake  and  grain 
and  button  piece  the  village  owned.  We  carried  from  this 
place  to  the  Admiral  a  small  gourd  rilled  with  gold.  But  it 
was  not  greatly  plentiful;  that  was  evident  to  any  thinking 
man!  But  we  had  so  many  who  were  not  thinking  men. 
And  the  Admiral  had  to  appease  with  his  reports  gold-thirsty 
great  folk  in  Spain. 

We  spent  three  days  in  this  village  and  they  were  days  for 
gods  and  Indians  of  happy  wonder  and  learning.  They 
would  have  us  describe  heaven.  Luis  and  I  told  them  of 
liurope.  We  pointed  to  the  east.  They  said  that  they  knew 
that  heaven  rested  there  upon  the  great  water.  The  town 
of  the  sun  was  over  there.  Had  we  seen  the  sun's  town  ?  Was 
it  beside  us  in  heaven,  in  "  Europe  "  ?  The  sun  went  down 
under  the  mountains,  and  there  he  found  a  river  and  his 
canoe.  He  rowed  all  night  until  he  came  to  his  town.  Then 
he  ate  cassava  cakes  and  rested,  while  the  green  and  gold 
and  red  Lizard  [These  were  "  Lizard  "  folk.  They  had  a 
Lizard  painted  on  a  great  post  by  the  cacique's  house.]  went 
ahead  to  say  that  he  was  coming.  Then  he  rose,  right  out 
of  the  great  water,  and  there  was  day  again !  But  we  must 
know  about  the  sun's  town ;  we,  the  gods ! 

Luis  and  I  could  have  stayed  long  while  and  disentan 
gled  this  place  and  loved  the  doing  it. 
»     But  it  was  to  return  to  the  Admiral  and  the  waiting  ships. 

The  three  tobacco  men  would  go  with  us  to  see  wonders, 
so  we  returned  nine  in  number  along  the  path.  Before  we 
set  out  we  saw  that  a  storm  threatened.  All  six  Indians 
were  loth  to  depart  until  it  was  over,  and  the  cacique  would 
have  kept  us.  But  Luis  and  I  did  not  know  how  long  the 
bad  weather  might  hold  and  we  must  get  to  the  ships.  It 
was  Jerez  who  told  them  boastfully  that  gods  did  not  fear 

[130] 


storms,  —  specimen  of  that  Spanish  folly  of  ours  that  worked 
harm  and  harm  again! 

We  traveled  until  afternoon  agreeably  enough,  then  with 
great  swiftness  the  clouds  climbed  and  thickened.  Sun  went 
out,  air  grew  dark.  The  Indians  behind  us  on  the  path,  that 
was  so  narrow  that  we  must  tread  one  after  the  other,  spoke 
among  themselves,  then  Diego  Colon  pushed  through  mar- 
velously  huge,  rich  fern  to  Luis  and  me.  "  They  say,  *  will 
not  the  gods  tell  the  clouds  to  go  away  ?  * "  But  doubt  like 
a  gnome  sat  in  the  youth's  eye.  We  had  had  bad  weather  off 
Isabella,  and  the  gods  had  had  to  wait  for  the  sun  like 
others.  By  now  Diego  Colon  had  seen  many  and  strange 
miracles,  but  he  had  likewise  found  limitations,  quite  numer 
ous  and  decisive  limitations!  He  thought  that  here  was 
one,  and  I  explained  to  him  that  he  thought  correctly.  Euro 
peans  could  do  many  things  but  this  was  not  among  them. 
Luis  and  I  watched  him  tell  the  Cubans  that  he,  Diego 
Colon,  had  never  said  that  we  three  were  among  the  highest 
gods.  Even  the  great,  white-headed,  chief  god  yonder  in  the 
winged  canoe  was  said  to  be  less  than  some  other  gods  in 
heaven  which  we  called  Europe,  and  over  all  was  a  High 
God  who  could  do  everything,  scatter  clouds,  stop  thunder 
or  send  thunder,  everything!  Had  we  brought  our  butio 
with  us  he  might  perhaps  have  made  great  magic  and  helped 
things.  As  it  was,  we  must  take  luck.  That  seeming  rational 
to  the  Indians,  we  proceeded,  our  glory  something  diminished, 
but  still  sufficient. 

The  storm  climbed  and  thickened  and  evidently  was  to 
become  a  fury.  Wind  began  to  whistle,  trees  to  bend,  light 
nings  to  play,  thunder  to  sound.  It  grew.  We  stood  in 
blazing  light,  thunder  almost  burst  our  ears,  a  tree  was  riven 
a  bow-shot  away.  Great  warm  rain  began  to  fall.  We 
could  hardly  stand  against  the  wind.  We  were  going  under 
mountainside  with  a  splashing  stream  below  us.  Diego 
Colon  shouted,  as  he  must  to  get  above  wind  and  thunder. 
"  Hurry !  hurry !  They  know  place/'  All  began  to  run. 
After  a  battle  to  make  way  at  all,  we  came  to  a  slope  of  loose, 

[131] 


small  stones  and  vine  and  fern.  This  we  climbed,  passed 
behind  a  jagged  mass  of  rock,  and  found  a  cavern.  A 
flash  lit  it  for  us,  then  another  and  another.  At  mouth 
it  might  be  twenty  feet  across,  was  deep  and  narrowed 
like  a  funnel.  Panting,  we  threw  ourselves  on  the  cave 
floor. 

The  storm  prevailed  through  the  rest  of  this  day  and  far 
into  the  night.  "  Hurricane! "  said  the  Cubans.  "  Not  great 
one,  little  one !  "  But  we  from  Spain  thought  it  a  great 
enough  hurricane.  The  rain  fell  as  though  it  would  make 
another  flood  and  in  much  less  than  forty  days.  We  must 
be  silent,  for  wind  and  thunder  allowed  no  other  choice. 
Streams  of  rain  came  into  the  cavern,  but  we  found  ledges 
curtained  by  rock.  We  ate  cassava  cake  and  drank  from  a 
runlet  of  water.  The  storm  made  almost  night,  then  actual 
night  arrived.  We  curled  ourselves  up,  hugging  ourselves 
for  warmth,  and  went  to  sleep. 

The  third  day  from  the  town  we  came  to  the  sea  and  the 
ships.  All  seemed  well.  Our  companions  had  felt  the 
storm,  had  tales  to  tell  of  wrenched  anchors  and  the  Pinta's 
boat  beat  almost  to  pieces,  uprooted  trees,  wind,  lightning, 
thunder  and  rain.  But  they  cut  short  their  recital,  wishing 
to  know  what  we  had  found. 

Luis  and  I  made  report  to  the  Admiral.  He  sat  under  a 
huge  tree  and  around  gathered  the  Pinzons,  Fray  Ignatio, 
Diego  de  Arana,  Roderigo  Sanchez  and  others.  We  related ; 
they  questioned,  we  answered;  there  was  discussion;  the 
Admiral  summed  up. 

But  later  I  spoke  to  him  alone.  We  were  now  on  ship, 
making  ready  for  sailing.  We  would  go  eastward,  around 
this  point  of  Asia,  since  from  what  all  said  it  must  be 
point,  and  see  what  was  upon  the  other  side.  "  They  all 
gesture  south !  They  say  '  Rabeque  —  Babeque !  Bohio ! ' 

I  asked  him,  "  Why  is  it  that  these  Indians  here  seem  glad 
for  us  to  go  ?  " 

He  sighed  impatiently,  drawing  one  hand  through  the 
other,  with  him  a  recurring  gesture.  "  It  is  the  women ! 

[132] 


149Q 


Certain  of  our  men  —  "I  saw  him  look  at  Gutierrez  who 
passed. 

"  Tomaso  Passamonte,  too/'  I  said. 

"  Yes.  And  others.  It  is  the  old  woe !  Now  they  have 
only  to  kill  a  man !  " 

He  arraigned  short-sightedness.  I  said,  "  But  still  we  are 
from  heaven  ?  " 

"  Still.  But  some  of  the  gods  —  just  five  or  six,  say  — 
have  fearful  ways !  "  He  laughed,  sorrowfully  and  angrily. 
"  And  you  think  there  is  little  gold,  and  that  we  are  very 
far  from  clothed  and  lettered  Asia?" 

"  So  far,"  I  answered,  "  that  I  see  not  why  we  call  these 
brown,  naked  folk  Indians." 

"  What  else  would  you  call  them  ?  " 

"  I  do  not  know  that." 

"  Why,  then,  let  us  still  call  them  Indians."  He  drummed 
upon  the  rail  before  him,  then  broke  out,  "  Christ !  I  think 
we  do  esteem  hard,  present,  hand-held  gold  too  much ! " 

"  I  say  yes  to  that !  " 

He  said,  "  We  should  hold  to  the  joy  of  Discovery  and 
great  use  hereafter  —  mounting  use !  " 

"  Aye." 

"  Here  is  virgin  land,  vast  and  beautiful,  with  a  clime  like 
heaven,  and  room  for  a  hundred  colonies  such  as  Greece  and 
Rome  sent  out!  Here  is  a  docile,  unwarlike  people  ready  to 
be  industrious  servitors  and  peasants,  for  which  we  do  give 
them  salvation  of  their  souls!  It  is  all  Spain's,  the  banner 
is  planted,  the  names  given!  We  are  too  impatient!  We 
cannot  have  it  between  dawn  and  sunset !  But  look  into  the 
future  —  there  is  wealth  beyond  counting !  No  great  amount 
of  gold,  but  enough  to  show  that  there  is  gold." 

I  followed  the  working  of  his  mind.  It  was  to  smile 
somewhat  sorrowfully,  seeing  his  great  difficulties.  He  was 
the  born  Discoverer  mightily  loving  Discovery,  and  watch 
ing  the  Beloved  in  her  life  through  time.  But  he  had  to 
serve  Prince  Have-it-now,  in  the  city  Greed.  I  said,  "  Senor, 
do  not  put  too  much  splendor  in  your  Journal  for  the  King 

[133] 


and  Queen  and  the  Spanish  merchants  and  the  Church  and 
all  the  chivalry  that  the  ended  war  releases !  Or,  if  you 
prophesy,  mark  it  prophecy.  It  is  a  great  trouble  in  the 
world  that  men  do  not  know  when  one  day  is  talked  of  or 
when  is  meant  great  ranges  of  days !  Otherwise  you  will 
have  all  thirsty  Spain  sailing  for  Ophir  and  Golden  Cher- 
sonesus,  wealth  immediate,  gilding  Midas  where  he  stands! 
If  they  find  disappointment  they  will  not  think  of  the  future ; 
they  will  smite  you !  " 

I  knew  that  he  was  writing  in  that  book  too  ardently, 
and  that  he  was  even  now  composing  letters  to  great  per 
sons  to  be  dispatched  from  what  Spanish  port  he  should 
first  enter,  coming  back  east  from  west,  over  Ocean-Sea, 
from  Asia ! 

But  he  had  long,  long  followed  his  own  advice,  stood  by 
his  own  course.  The  doing  so  had  so  .served  him  that  it 
was  natural  he  should  have  confidence.  Now  he  said  only, 
"  I  do  the  best  I  can !  I  have  little  sea  room.  One  Scylla 
and  Charybdis  ?  Nay,  a  whole  brood  of  them !  " 

I  could  agree  to  that.  I  saw  it  coming  up  the  ways  that 
they  would  give  him  less  and  less  sea  room.  He  went  on, 
"  Merchandise  has  to  be  made  attractive !  The  cook  dresses 
the  dish,  the  girl  puts  flowers  in  her  hair.  .  .  .  Yet,  in  the 
end  the  wares  are  mighty  beyond  description!  The  dish  is 
for  Pope  and  King  —  the  girl  is  a  bride  for  a  paladin !  " 

Again  he  was  right  afar  and  over  the  great  span.  But 
they  would  not  see  in  Spain,  or  not  many  would  see,  that 
the  whole  span  must  be  taken.  But  I  was  not  one  to 
Chide  him,  seeing  that  I,  too,  saw  afar,  and  they  would  not 
see  with  me  either  in  Spain. 


[134] 


CHAPTER  XX 

WE    sailed    for   two    days    east   by    south.     But    the 
weather   that    had    been    perfection    for   long   and 
long  again  from   Palos,  now  was  changed.     Dead 
winds  delayed  us,   the  sea  ridged,  clouds  blotted  out  the 
blue.     We  held  on.     There  was  a  great  cape  which  we  called 
Cape  Cuba.     Off  this  a  storm  met  us.     We  lived  it  out  and 
made  into  one  of  those  bottle  harbors  of  which,  first  and 
last,  we  were  to  find  God  knows  how  many  in  Cuba! 

The  Admiral  named  it  Puerto  del  Principe,  and  we  raised 
on  shore  here  a  very  great  cross.  We  had  done  this  on 
every  considerable  island  since  San  Salvador  and  now  twice 
on  this  coast.  There  were  behind  us  seven  or  eight  crosses. 
The  banner  planted  was  the  sign  of  the  Sovereignty  of  Spain, 
the  cross  the  sign  of  Holy  Church,  Sovereign  over  sover 
eigns,  who  gave  these  lands  to  Spain,  as  she  gave  Africa 
and  the  islands  to  Portugal.  We  came  to  a  great  number 
of  islets,  rivers  of  clear  blue  sea  between.  The  ships  lay 
to  and  we  took  boat  and  went  among  these.  The  King's 
Gardens,  the  Admiral  called  them,  and  the  calm  sea  between 
them  and  mainland  the  Sea  of  Our  Lady.  They  were 
thickly  wooded,  and  we  thought  we  found  cinnamon,  aloes 
and  mastic.  Two  lovely  days  we  had  in  this  wilderness 
of  isles  and  channels  where  was  no  man  nor  woman  at  all, 
then  again  we  went  east  and  south,  the  land  trending  that 
way.  Very  distant,  out  of  eastern  waste,  rose  what  seemed 
a  large  island.  The  Admiral  said  that  we  should  go  dis 
cover,  and  we  changed  course  toward  it,  but  in  three  hours' 
time  met  furious  weather.  The  sea  rose,  clouds  like  night 

[  135  ] 


1492 


closed  us  in.  Night  came  on  without  a  star  and  a  contrary 
wind  blew  always.  When  the  dawn  broke  sullenly  we  were 
beaten  back  to  Cuba,  and  a  great  promontory  against  which 
truly  we  might  have  been  dashed  stood  to  our  north  and 
shut  out  coast  of  yesterday.  Here  we  hung  a  day  and 
night,  and  then  the  wind  lulling  and  the  sea  running  not 
so  high,  we  made  again  for  that  island  which  might  be 
Babeque.  We  had  Indians  aboard,  but  the  sea  and  the 
whipping  and  groaning  of  our  masts  and  rigging  and  sails 
and  the  pitching  of  the  ship  terrified  them,  and  terror  made 
them  dull.  They  sat  with  knees  drawn  up  and  head  buried 
in  arms  and  shivered,  and  knew  not  Babeque  from  anything 
else. 

Christopherus  Columbus  could  be  very  obstinate.  Wish 
ing  strongly  to  gain  that  island,  through  all  this  day  he  had 
us  strive  toward  it.  But  the  wind  was  directly  ahead  and 
strong  as  ten  giants.  The  master  and  others  made  repre 
sentations,  and  at  last  he  nodded  his  gray  head  and  ordered 
the  Santa  Maria  put  about  and  the  Pint  a  and  the  Nina 
signaled.  The  Nina  harkened  and  turned,  but  the  Pinta 
at  some  distance  seemed  deaf  and  blind.  Night  fell  while 
still  we  signaled.  We  were  now  for  Cuba,  and  the  wind 
directly  behind  us,  but  yet  as  long  as  we  could  see,  the  Pinta 
chose  not  to  turn.  We  set  lights  for  signals,  but  her  light 
fell  farther  and  farther  astern.  She  was  a  swifter  sailer 
than  we ;  there  was  no  reason  for  that  increasing  distance. 
We  lay  to,  the  Nina  beside  us.  Ere  long  we  wholly  lost 
the  Pinta's  light.  Night  passed.  When  morning  broke 
Captain  Martin  Alonso  Pinzon  and  the  Pinta  were  gone. 

The  sea,  though  rough,  was  not  too  perilous,  and  never 
a  signal  of  distress  had  been  seen  nor  heard. 

"Lost?     Is  the  Pinta  lost?'5 

"  Lost !    No !  —  But,  yes.    Willfully  lost !  " 

It  was  Roderigo  Sanchez  who  knew  not  much  of  the 
sea  who  asked,  and  the  Admiral  answered.  But  haying 
spoken  it  that  once,  he  closed  his  strong  lips  and  coming 
down  from  deck  said  he  would  have  breakfast.  All  that 

[136] 


1490 


day  was  guessing  and  talk  enough  upon  the  Santa  Maria; 
silent  or  slurred  talk  at  last,  for  toward  noon  the  Admiral 
gave  sharp  order  that  the  Pinta  should  be  left  out  of  con 
versation.  Captain  Martin  Pinzon  was  an  able  seaman. 
Perhaps,  something  (he  reminded  us  of  the  rudder  before 
the  Canaries)  had  gone  wrong.  Captain  Pinzon  may  have 
thought  the  island  was  the  nearer  land,  or  he  may  have 
returned  to  Cuba,  but  more  to  the  north  than  were  we.  He 
looked  for  the  Pinta  again  in  a  reasonable  time.  In  the 
meantime  let  it  alone! 

So  soon  as  the  sea  allowed,  Vicente  Pinzon  came  in  his 
boat  to  the  Santa  Maria,  but  he  seemed  as  perplexed  as  we. 
He  did  not  know  his  brother's  mind.  But  Martin  Pinzon 
forever  and  always  was  a  good  sea  captain  and  a  Castilian 
of  his  word,  knowing  what  was  proper  observance  to  his 
Admiral.  If  he  did  this  or  that,  it  would  be  for  good  reasons. 
So  Vicente,  and  the  Admiral  was  cordial  with  him,  and 
saw  him  over  rail  and  down  side  with  cheerful  words.  He 
was  cheerful  all  that  day  in  his  speech,  cheerful  and  suave 
and  prophesying  good  in  many  directions.  But  I  knew  the 
trouble  behind  that  front. 

In  some  ways  the  Pinta  was  the  best  of  our  ships.  Mar 
tin  Pinzon  was  a  bold  and  ready  man,  and  those  aboard 
with  him  devoted  to  his  fortunes.  He  did  not  lack  opin 
ions  of  his  own,  and  often  they  countered  the  Admiral's. 
He  was  ambitious,  and  the  Admiral's  rights  were  so  vast 
and  inclusive  that  there  seemed  not  much  room  to  make 
name  and  fame.  Much  the  same  with  riches !  What 
Martin  Pinzon  had  loaned  would  come  back  to  him  be 
yond  doubt,  back  with  high  interest  and  a  good  deal  more. 
But  still  it  would  seem  to  him  that  room  was  needed.  In 
his  mind  he  had  said  perhaps  many  times  to  the  Admiral, 
"  Do  not  claim  too  much  soil !  Do  not  forget  that  other 
trees  want  to  grow !  " 

Martin  Pinzon  might  have  put  back  to  Spain,  but  who 
knew  the  man  would  not  think  that  likely.  Far  more  prob 
able  that  he  might  be  doing  discovery  of  his  own.  Perhaps 

[137] 


he  would  rejoin  us  later  with  some  splendid  thing  to  his 
credit,  claim  that  Spain  could  not  deny! 

Cuba  coast  rose  high  and  near.  It  is  a  shore  of  the  fairest 
harbors !  We  made  one  of  these  into  which  emptied  a  little 
river.  He  named  haven  and  river  Saint  Catherine.  In  the 
bed  of  this  stream,  when  we  went  ashore,  we  found  no  lit 
tle  gold.  He  took  in  his  hand  grains  and  flakes  and  one  or 
two  pieces  large  as  beans.  It  was  royal  monopoly,  gold,  and 
every  man  under  strict  command  to  bring  to  the  Admiral 
all  that  was  found.  Seamen  and  companions  gathered 
around  him,  Admiral,  Viceroy  and  Governor,  King  Croesus 
to  be,  a  tenth  of  all  gold  and  spoil  rilling  his  purse!  And 
they,  too,  surely  some  way  they  would  be  largely  paid !  The 
dream  hovered,  then  descended  upon  us,  as  many  a  time  it 
descended.  Great  riches  and  happiness  and  all  clothed  in 
silk,  and  every  man  as  he  would  be  and  not  as  he  was,  a 
dim  magnificence  and  a  sense  of  trumpets  in  the  air,  acclaim 
ing  us!  I  remember  that  day  that  we  all  felt  this  mystic 
power  and  wealth,  the  Admiral  and  all  of  us.  For  a  short 
time,  there  by  Saint  Catherine's  River,  we  were  brought  into 
harmony.  Then  it  broke  and  each  little  self  went  its  way 
again.  But  for  that  while  eighty  men  had  felt  as  though 
we  were  a  country  and  more  than  a  country.  The  gold 
in  the  Admiral's  hand  might  have  been  gold  of  conscious 
ness. 

After  this  day  for  days  we  sailed  along  Cuba  strand, 
seeing  many  a  fair  haven  and  entering  two  or  three.  There 
were  villages,  and  those  dusk,  naked  folk  to  whom  by  now 
we  were  well  used,  running  to  beach  or  cliff  brow,  making 
signs,  seeming  to  cry,  "  Heaven  come  down,  heaven,  heaven 
and  the  gods ! "  The  notion  of  a  sail  had  never  come  to 
them,  though  with  their  cotton  they  might  have  made  them. 
They  were  slow  to  learn  that  the  wind  pushed  us,  acting 
like  a  thousand  tireless  rowers.  We  were  thrillingly  new  to 
them  and  altogether  magical.  To  any  seeing  eye  a  ship  under 
full  sail  is  a  beautiful,  stately,  thrilling  thing!  To  these 
red  men  there  was  a  perilous  joy  in  the  vision.  If  to  us  in 

[138] 


the  ships  there  hung  in  this  voyage  something  mystic,  hid 
den,  full  of  possibility,  inch  by  inch  to  unroll,  throbbing  all 
with  the  future  which  is  the  supernatural,  be  sure  these,  too, 
who  were  found  and  discovered,  moved  in  a  cloud  of  mystery 
torn  by  strange  lightnings! 

Sometimes  we  came  into  haven,  dropped  anchor  and  low 
ered  sails,  whereupon  those  on  the  shore  again  cried  out. 
When  we  took  our  boats  and  went  to  land  we  met  always 
the  same  reception,  found  much  the  same  village,  carried  on 
much  the  same  conversations.  Little  by  little  we  collected 
gold.  By  now,  within  the  Admiral's  chest,  in  canvas  bags, 
rested  not  a  little  treasure  for  Queen  Isabella  and  King 
Ferdinand.  And  though  it  was  forbidden,  I  knew  that  many 
of  our  seamen  hid  gold.  All  told  we  found  enough  to  whet 
appetite.  But  still  the  Indians  said  south,  and  Babeque  and 
Bohio ! 

At  last  we  had  sailed  to  the  very  eastern  end  of  Cuba  and 
turned  it  as  we  might  turn  the  heel  of  Italy.  A  great  spur 
that  ran  into  the  ocean  the  Admiral  dubbed  Alpha  and 
Omega,  and  we  planted  a  cross. 

It  fell  to  me  here  to  save  the  Admiral's  life. 

We  had  upon  the  Santa  Maria  a  man  named  Felipe  who 
seemed  a  simple,  God-fearing  soul,  very  attentive  to  Fray 
Ignatio  and  all  the  offices  of  religion.  He  was  rather  a  silent 
fellow  and  a  slow,  poor  worker,  often  in  trouble  with  boat 
swain  and  master.  He  said  odd  things  and  sometimes  wept 
for  his  soul,  and  the  forecastle  laughed  at  him.  This  man 
became  in  a  night  mad. 

It  was  middle  night.  The  Santa  Maria  swung  at  anchor 
and  the  whole  world  seemed  a  just-breathing  stillness. 
There  was  the  watch,  but  all  else  slept.  The  watch,  looking 
at  Cuba  and  the  moon  on  the  water,  did  not  observe  Felipe 
when  he  crept  from  forecastle  with  a  long,  sharp  two-edged 
knife  such  as  they  sell  in  Toledo. 

Juan  Lepe  woke  from  first  sleep  and  could  not  recover 
it.  He  found  Bernardo  Nunez's  small,  small  cabin  stifling, 
and  at  last  he  got  up,  put  on  garments,  and  slipped  forth 

[139] 


and  through  great  cabin  to  outer  air.  He  might  have  found 
the  Admiral  there  before  him,  for  he  slept  little  and  was 
about  the  ship  at  all  hours,  but  to-night  he  did  sleep. 

I  spoke  to  the  watch,  then  set  myself  down  at  break  of 
poop  to  breathe  the  splendor  of  the  night.  The  moon  bathed 
Alpha  and  Omega,  and  the  two  ships,  the  Nina  and  the  Santa 
Maria.  It  washed  the  Pinta  but  we  saw  it  not,  not  knowing 
where  rode  the  Pinta  and  Martin  Alonzo  Pinzon.  So  bright, 
so  pleasureable,  was  the  night! 

An  hour  passed.  My  body  was  cooled  and  refreshed, 
my  spirit  quiet.  Rising,  I  entered  great  cabin  on  my  way 
to  bed  and  sleep.  I  felt  that  the  cabin  was  not  empty,  and 
then,  there  being  moonlight  enough,  I  saw  the  figure  by  the 
Admiral's  door.  "  Who  is  it  ?  "  I  demanded,  but  the  un 
bolted  door  gave  to  the  man's  push,  and  he  disappeared.  I 
knew  it  was  not  the  Admiral  and  I  followed  at  a  bound.  The 
cabin  had  a  window  and  the  moonbeams  came  in.  They 
showed  Felipe  and  his  knife  and  the  great  Genoese  asleep. 
The  madman  laughed  and  crooned,  then  lifted  that  Toledo 
dagger  and  lunged  downward  with  a  sinewy  arm.  But  I 
was  upon  him.  The  blow  fell,  but  a  foot  wide  of  mark. 
There  was  a  struggle,  a  shout.  The  Admiral,  opening  eyes,, 
sprang  from  bed. 

He  was  a  powerful  man,  and  I,  too,  had  strength,  but 
Felipe  fought  and  struggled  like  a  desert  lion.  He  kept 
crying,  "  I  am  the  King !  I  will  send  him  to  discover  Heaven ! 
I  will  send  him  to  join  the  prophets !  "  At  last  we  had  him 
down  and  bound  him.  By  now  the  noise  had  brought  the 
watch  and  others.  A  dozen  men  came  crowding  in,  in  the 
moonlight.  We  took  the  madman  away  and  kept  him  fast, 
and  Juan  Lepe  tried  to  cure  him  but  could  not.  In  three 
days  he  died  and  we  buried  him  at  sea.  And  Fernando, 
creeping  to  me,  asked,  "  Senor,  don't  you  feel  at  times  that 
there  is  madness  over  all  this  ship  and  this  voyage  and  him 
—  the  Admiral,  I  mean?" 

I  answered  him  that  it  was  a  pity  there  were  so  few 
madmen,  and  that  Felipe  must  have  been  quite  sane. 

[140] 


1490 


"  Then  what  do  you  think  was  the  matter  with  Felipe, 
Sefior?" 

I  said,  "  Did  it  ever  occur  to  you,  Fernando,  that  you  had 
too  much  courage  and  saw  too  far?"  At  which  he  looked 
frightened,  and  said  that  at  times  he  had  felt  those  symp 
toms. 


[141] 


CHAPTER  XXI 

MARTIN  PINZON  did  not  return  to  us.     That  tall, 
blond  sea  captain  was  gone  we  knew  not  where.    The 
Santa  Maria  and  the  Nina  sailed  south  along  the  foot 
of  Cuba.    But  now  rose  out  of  ocean  on  our  southeast  quar 
ter  a  great  island  with'  fair  mountain  shapes.     We  asked 
our  Indians  —  we  had  five  aboard  beside  Diego   Colon  — 
what  it  was.    "  Bohio !    Bohio  !  "    But  when  we  came  there, 
its  own  inhabitants  called  it  Hayti  and  Quisquaya. 

The  Admiral  paced  our  deck,  small  as  a  turret  chamber, 
his  hands  behind  him,  his  mind  upon  some  great  chart  drawn 
within,  not  without.  At  last,  having  decided,  he  called  Juan 
de  la  Cosa.  "  We  will  go  to  Bohio." 

So  it  was  done  whereby  much  was  done,  the  Woman  with 
the  distaff  spinning  fast,  fast ! 

As  this  island  lifted  out  of  ocean,  we  who  had  said  of 
Cuba,  "  It  is  the  fairest !  "  now  said,  "  No,  this  is  the  fair 
est  !  "  It  was  most  beautiful,  with  mountains  and  forests  and 
vales  and  plains  and  rivers. 

The  twelfth  day  of  December  we  came  to  anchor  in  a 
harbor  which  the  Admiral  named  Concepcion. 

On  this  shore  the  Indians  fled  from  us.  We  found  a 
village,  but  quite  deserted.  Not  a  woman,  not  a  man,  not  a 
child !  Only  three  or  four  of  those  silent  dogs,  and  a  great 
red  and  green  parrot  that  screamed  but  said  nothing. 
There  was  something  in  this  day,  I  know  not  what, 
but  it  made  itself  felt.  The  Admiral,  kneeling,  kissed  the 
soil,  and  he  named  the  island  Hispaniola,  and  we  planted  a 
cross. 

[142] 


149Q 


For  long  we  had  been  beaten  about,  and  all  aboard  the 
ships  were  well  willing  to  leave  them  for  a  little.  We  had 
a  dozen  sick  and  they  craved  the  shore  and  the  fruit  trees. 
Our  Indians,  too,  longed.  So  we  anchored,  and  mariners 
and  all  adventurers  rested  from  the  sea.  A  few  at  a  time, 
the  villagers  returned,  and  fearfully  enough  at  first.  But 
we  had  harmed  nothing,  and  what  greatness  and  gentleness 
was  in  us  we  showed  it  here.  Presently  all  thought  they 
were  at  home  with  us,  and  that  heaven  bred  the  finest  folk ! 

Our  people  of  Hispaniola,  subjects  now,  since  the  planting 
of  the  flag,  were  taller,  handsomer,  we  thought,  than  the 
Cubans,  and  more  advanced  in  the  arts.  Their  houses  were 
neat  and  good,  and  their  gardens  weeded  and  well-stocked. 
The  men  wore  loin  cloths,  the  women  a  wide  cotton  girdle  or 
little  skirt.  We  found  three  or  four  copper  knives,  but 
again  they  said  that  they  came  from  the  south.  As  in  Spain 
"  west  —  west "  had  been  his  word,  so  now  the  Admiral 
brooded  upon  "  south." 

These  folk  had  a  very  little  gold,  but  they  seemed  to  say 
that  theirs  was  a  simple  and  poor  village,  and  that  we  should 
find  more  of  all  things  farther  on.  So  we  left  Concepcion, 
the  cross  upon  the  rock  showing  a  long  way  through  the  pure 
air. 

For  two  days  we  coasted,  and  at  the  end  of  this  time  we 
came  to  a  harbor  of  great  beauty  and  back  from  it  ran  a 
vale  like  Paradise,  so  richly  sweet  it  was!  Christopherus 
Columbus  was  quick  to  find  beauty  and  loved  it  when  found. 
Often  and  often  have  I  seen  his  face  turn  that  of  a  child 
or  a  youth,  filled  with  wonder.  I  have  seen  him  kiss  a 
flower,  lay  a  caress  upon  stem  of  tree,  yearn  toward  palm 
tops  against  the  blue.  He  was  well  read  in  the  old  poets, 
and  he  himself  was  a  poet  though  he  wrote  no  line  of  verse. 

We  entered  here  and  came  to  anchor  and  the  sails  rattled 
down.  "  Hispaniola  —  Hispaniola,  and  we  will  call  this 
harbor  St.  Thomas !  He  was  the  Apostle  to  India.  And 
now  we  are  his  younger  brothers  come  after  long  folding 
away.  Were  we  more  —  did  we  have  a  fleet  —  we  might 

[143] 


set  a  city  here  and,  it  being  Christmas,  call  it  La  Navidad !  " 

Out  came  the  canoes  to  us,  out  the  swimmers,  dark  and 
graceful  figures  cleaving  the  utter  blue.  Some  one  passing 
that  way  overland,  hurrying  with  news,  had  told  these  vil 
lages  how  peaceful,  noble,  benevolent,  beneficent  we  were. 

The  canoes  were  heaped  with  fruit  and  cassava  bread,  and 
they  had  cotton,  not  in  balls,  but  woven  in  pieces.  And 
these  Indians  had  about  neck  or  in  ear  some  bits  of  gold. 
These  they  changed  cheerfully,  taking  and  valuing  what 
trifle  was  given.  "  Gold.  Where  do  you  get  your  gold  ? 
Do  you  know  of  Cipango  or  Cathay  or  India?  Have  ever 
you  heard  of  Zaiton,  or  of  Quinsai  and  Cublai  Khan?" 
They  gave  us  answers  which  we  could  not  fully  understand, 
and  gestured  inland  and  a  little  to  the  east.  "  Cibao !  Ci- 
bao !  "  They  seemed  to  say  that  there  was  all  the  gold 
there  that  a  reasonable  mortal  might  desire.  "  Cibao  ?  — 
Cipango  ?  "  said  the  Admiral.  "  They  might  be  the  same." 

"  Like  Cuba  and  Cublai  Khan,"  thought  Juan  Lepe. 

Around  a  point  of  shore  darted  a  long  canoe  with  many 
rowers.  Other  canoes  gave  way  for  it,  and  the  Indians  al 
ready  upon  the  Santa  Maria  exclaimed  that  it  was  the 
boat  of  the  cacique,  though  not  the  cacique  but  his  brother 
sat  in  it.  Guacanagari  was  the  cacique.  His  town  was 
yonder!  They  pointed  to  a  misty  headland  beyond  St. 
Thomas's  bay. 

The  Indian  from  the  great  canoe  came  aboard,  a  hand 
some  fellow,  and  he  brought  presents  not  like  any  we  had 
seen.  There  was  a  width  of  cotton  embroidered  thick  with 
bits  of  gleaming  shell  and  bone,  but  what  was  most  welcome 
was  a  huge  wooden  mask  with  eyes  and  tongue  of  gold. 
Fray  Ignatio  crossed  himself.  "  The  devil  they  worship,  — 
poor  lost  sheep !  "  The  third  gift  was  a  considerable  piece 
of  that  mixed  and  imperfect  gold  which  afterwards  we 
called  guanin.  And  would  we  go  to  visit  the  cacique  whose 
town  was  not  so  far  yonder? 

It  was  Christmas  Eve.  We  sailed  with  a  small,  small 
wind  for  the  cacique's  village,  out  from  harbor  of  St. 

[144] 


149Q 


Thomas,  around  a  headland  and  along  a  low,  bright  green 
shore.  So  low  and  fitful  was  the  wind  that  we  moved 
like  two  great  snails.  Better  to  have  left  the  ships  and  gone, 
so  many  of  us,  in  our  boats  with  oars,  canoes  convoying  us ! 
The  distance  was  not  great,  but  distance  is  as  the  power 
of  going.  "  I  remember,"  quoth  the  Admiral,  "  a  calm, 
going  from  the  Levant  to  Crete,  and  our  water  cask  broken 
and  not  a  mouthful  for  a  soul  aboard!  That  was  a  long, 
long  two  days  while  the  one  shore  went  no  further  and  the 
other  came  no  nearer.  And  going  once  to  Porto  Santo 
with  my  wife  she  fell  ill  and  moaned  for  the  land,  and  we 
were  held  as  by  the  sea  bottom,  and  I  thought  she  would  die 
who  might  be  saved  if  she  could  have  the  land.  And  I  re 
member  going  down  the  African  coast  with  Santanem  —  " 

Diego  de  Arana  said,  "  You  have  had  a  full  life,  Senor !  " 

He  was  cousin,  I  had  been  told,  to  that  Dona  Beatrix 
whom  the  Admiral  cherished,  mother  of  his  youngest  son, 
Fernando.  The  Admiral  had  affection  for  him,  and  Diego 
de  Arana  lived  and  died,  a  good,  loyal  man.  "  A  full  out 
ward  life,"  he  went  on,  "  and  I  dare  swear,  a  full  inward 
one!" 

"  That  is  God's  truth !  "  said  the  Admiral.  "  You  may 
well  say  that,  Senor !  Inside  I  have  lived  with  all  who  have 
lived,  and  discovered  with  all  who  have  discovered ! " 

I  remember  as  a  dream  this  last  day  upon  the  Santa  Maria. 
Beltran  the  cook  had  scalded  his  arm.  I  dressed  it  each 
day,  and  dressing  it  now,  half  a  dozen  idling  by,  watching 
the  operation,  I  heard  again  a  kind  of  talk  that  I  had  heard 
before.  Partly  because  I  had  shipped  as  Juan  Lepe  an 
Andalusian  sailor  and  had  had  my  forecastle  days,  and 
partly  because  men  rarely  fear  to  speak  to  a  physician,  and 
partly  because  in  the  great  whole  there  existed  liking  be 
tween  them  and  me,  they  talked  and  discussed  freely  enough 
what  any  other  from  the  other  end  of  ship  could  have 
come  at  only  by  formal  questioning.  Now  many  of  the 
seamen  wanted  to  know  when  we  were  returning  to  Palos, 
and  another  number  said  that  they  would  just  as  soon  never 

[145] 


return,  or  at  least  not  for  a  good  while!  But  they  did  not 
wish  to  spend  that  good  while  upon  the  ship.  It  was  a 
good  land,  and  the  heathen  also  good.  The  heathen  might 
all  be  going  to  burn  in  hell,  unless  Fray  Ignatio  could  get 
them  baptized  in  time,  and  so  numerous  were  they  that 
seemed  hardly  possible !  Almost  all  might  have  to  go  to  hell. 
But  in  the  meantime,  here  on  earth,  they  had  their  uses,  and 
one  could  even  grow  fond  of  them  —  certainly  fond  of  the 
women.  The  heathen  were  eager  to  work  for  us,  catch 
us  coneys,  bring  us  gold,  put  hammocks  for  us  between 
trees  and  say  "  Sleep,  Sefior,  sleep !  "  Here  even  Tomaso 
Passamonte  was  "  Sefior  "  and  "  Don."  And  as  for  the 
women  —  only  the  skin  is  dark  —  they  were  warm-hearted! 
Gold  and  women  and  never  any  cold  nor  hunger  nor  toil! 
The  heathen  to  toil  for  you  —  and  they  could  be  taught  to 
make  wine,  with  all  these  grapes  dangling  everywhere? 
Heathen  could  do  the  gathering  and  pressing,  and  also  the 
gold  hunting  in  rocks  and  streams.  Spain  would  furnish  the 
mind  and  the  habit  of  command.  It  were  well  to  stay  and 
cultivate  Hispaniola!  The  Admiral  and  those  who  wanted 
to  might  take  home  the  ships.  Of  course  the  Admiral  would 
come  again,  and  with  him  ships  and  many  men.  No  one 
wanted,  of  course,  never  to  see  again  Castile  and  Palos 
and  his  family !  But  to  stay  in  Hispaniola  a  while  and 
rest  and  grow  rich,  —  that  was  what  they  wanted.  And  no 
one  could  justly  call  them  idle!  If  they  found  out  all  about 
the  land  and  where  were  the  gold  and  the  spices,  was  there 
not  use  in  that,  just  as  much  use  as  wandering  forever  on 
the  Santa  Maria? 

Mother  earth  was  kind,  kind,  here,  and  she  didn't  have  a 
rod  like  mother  country  and  Mother  Church !  They  did  not 
say  this  last,  but  it  was  what  they  meant. 

"  You  don't  see  the  rod,  that  is  all,"  said  Juan  Lepe. 

But  there  had  eventually  to  be  colonies,  and  I  knew  that 
the  Admiral  was  revolving  in  his  head  the  leaving  in  this 
new  world  certain  of  our  men,  seed  corn  as  it  were,  organs 
also  to  gather  knowledge  against  his  speedy  return  with 

[146] 


power  of  ships  and  men.  For  surely  Spain  would  be 
grateful, —  surely,  surely !  But  he  was  not  ready  yet  to  set 
sail  for  Spain.  He  meant  to  discover  more,  discover  further, 
come  if  by  any  means  he  could  to  the  actual  wealth  of  great, 
main  India;  come  perhaps  to  Zaiton,  where  are  more  mer 
chants  than  in  all  the  rest  of  the  world,  and  a  hundred 
master  ships  laden  with  pepper  enter  every  year;  or  to 
Quinsai  of  the  marble  bridges.  No,  he  was  not  ready  to 
turn  prow  to  Spain,  and  he  was  not  likely  to  bleed  himself 
of  men,  now  or  for  many  days  to  come.  All  these  who 
would  lie  in  hammocks  ashore  must  wait  awhile,  and  even 
when  they  made  their  colony,  that  is  not  the  way  that  colo 
nies  live  and  grow. 

Beltran  said,  "  Some  of  you  would  like  to  do  a  little 
good,  and  some  are  for  a  sow's  life !  " 

It  was  Christmas  Eve,  and  we  had  our  vespers,  and  we 
thought  of  the  day  at  home  in  Castile  and  in  Italy.  Dusk 
drew  down.  Behind  us  was  the  deep,  secure  water  of 
St.  Thomas,  his  harbor.  The  Admiral  had  us  sound  and 
the  lead  showed  no  great  depth,  whereupon  we  stood  a  lit 
tle  out  to  avoid  shoal  or  bar. 

For  some  nights  the  Admiral  had  been  wakeful,  suffering, 
as  Juan  Lepe  knew,  with  that  gout  which  at  times  troubled 
him  like  a  very  demon.  But  this  night  he  slept.  Juan  de  la 
Cosa  set  the  watch.  The  helmsman  was  Sancho  Ruiz  than 
whom  none  was  better,  save  only  that  he  would  take  a  risk 
when  he  pleased.  All  others  slept.  The  day  had  been  long, 
so  warm,  still  and  idle,  with  the  wooded  shore  stealing  so 
slowly  by. 

Early  in  the  night  Sancho  Ruiz  was  taken  with  a  great 
cramp  and  a  swimming  of  the  head.  He  called  to  one  of 
the  watch  to  come  take  the  helm  for  a  little,  but  none  an 
swered  ;  called  again  and  a  ship  boy  sleeping  near,  uncurled 
himself,  stretched,  and  came  to  hand.  "  It's  all  safe,  and 
the  Admiral  sleeping  and  the  master  sleeping  and  the  watch 
also !  "  said  the  boy.  Pedro  Acevedo  it  was,  a  well-enough 
meaning  young  wretch. 

[147] 


Sancho  Ruiz  put  helm  in  his  hand.  "  Keep  her  so,  while  I 
lie  down  here  for  a  little.  My  head  is  moving  faster  than 
the  Santa  Maria! " 

He  lay  down,  and  the  swimming  made  him  close  his 
eyes,  and  closed  eyes  and  the  disappearance  of  his  pain,  and 
pleasant  resting  on  deck  caused  him  to  sleep.  Pedro  Ace- 
vedo  held  the  wheel  and  looked  at  the  moon.  Then  the 
wind  chose  to  change,  blowing  still  very  lightly  but  bearing 
us  now  toward  shore,  and  Pedro  never  noticing  this  grow 
larger.  He  was  looking  at  the  moon,  he  afterwards  said 
with  tears,  and  thinking  of  Christ  born  in  Bethlehem. 

The  shore  came  nearer  and  nearer.  Sancho  Ruiz  slept. 
Pedro  now  heard  a  sound  that  he  knew  well  enough.  Coming 
back  to  here  and  now,  he  looked  and  saw  breakers  upon  a 
long  sand  bar.  The  making  tide  was  at  half,  and  that  and 
the  changed  wind  carried  us  toward  the  lines  of  foam.  The 
boy  cried,  "  Steersman !  Steersman !  "  Ruiz  sat  up,  hold 
ing  his  head  in  his  hands.  "  Such  a  roaring  in  my  ears !  " 
But  "Breakers!  Breakers!"  cried  the  boy.  "Take  the 
helm!" 

Ruiz  sprang  to  it,  but  as  he  touched  it  the  Santa  Maria 
grounded.  The  shock  woke  most  on  board,  the  immediate 
outcry  and  running  feet  the  rest. 

The  harm  was  done,  and  no  good  now  in  recriminations! 
It  was  never,  I  bear  witness,  habit  of  Christopherus  Co 
lumbus. 

The  Santa  Maria  listed  heavily,  the  sea  pounding  against 
her,  driving  her  more  and  more  upon  the  sand.  But  order 
arrived  with  the  Admiral.  The  master  grew  his  lieutenant, 
the  mariners  his  obedient  ones.  Back  he  was  at  thirty,  with  a 
shipwreck  who  had  seen  many  and  knew  how  to  toil  with 
hands  and  with  head.  Moreover,  the  great  genius  of  the 
man  shone  in  darkness.  He  could  encourage;  he  could 
bring  coolness. 

We  tried  to  warp  her  off,  but  it  was  not  to  be  done.  We 
cut  away  mast  to  lighten  her,  but  more  and  more  she  grew 
fast  to  the  bank,  the  waves  striking  all  her  side,  pushing  her 

[148] 


over.  Seams  had  opened,  water  was  coming  in.  The  Nina  a 
mile  away  took  our  signal  and  came  nearer,  lay  to,  and  sent 
her  boat. 

The  Santa  Maria,  it  was  seen,  was  dying.  Nothing  more 
was  to  be  done.  Her  mariners  could  only  cling  to  her  like 
bees  to  comb.  We  got  the  two  boats  clear  and  there  was  the 
boat  of  the  Nina.  Missioned  by  the  Admiral,  Juan  Lepe 
got  somehow  into  cabin,  together  with  Sancho  and  Luis 
Torres,  and  we  collected  maps  and  charts,  log,  journal,  box 
with  royal  letters  and  the  small  bags  of  gold,  and  the  Ad 
miral's  personal  belongings,  putting  all  into  a  great  sack 
and  caring  for  it,  until  upon  the  Nina  we  gave  it  into  his 
hand.  Above  us  rang  the  cry,  "  All  off !  " 

From  Christopherus  Columbus  to  Pedro  Acevedo  all  left 
the  Santa  Maria  and  were  received  by  the  Nina.  Crowded, 
crowded  was  the  Nina!  Down  voyaged  the  moon,  up  came 
with  freshness  the  rose-chapleted  dawn.  A  wreck  lay  the 
Santa  Maria,  painted  against  the  east,  about  her  a  low  thun 
der  of  breakers.  Where  was  the  Pinta  no  man  knew !  Per 
haps  halfway  back  to  Spain  or  perhaps  wrecked  and  drowned 
like  the  flagship.  The  Nina,  a  small,  small  ship  and  none  too 
seaworthy,  carried  all  of  Europe  and  Discovery. 


[149] 


CHAPTER  XXII 

IN  the  small,  small  cabin  of  the  Nina  Christopherus  Co 
lumbus  sat  for  a  time  with  his  head  bowed  in  his  arms, 
then  rose  and  made  up  a  mission  to  go  to  the  cacique 
Guacanagari  and,  relating  our  misfortune,  request  aid  and 
shelter  until  we  had  determined  upon  our  course.  There 
went  Diego  de  Arana  and  Pedro  Gutierrez  with  Luis  Tor 
res  and  one  or  two  more,  and  they  took  Diego  Colon  and  the 
two  St.  Thomas  Indians.  It  was  now  full  light,  the  shore 
and  mountains  green  as  emerald,  the  water  its  old  unearthly 
blue. 

The  Nina  swung  at  anchor  just  under  the  land  and  the 
now  receding  tide  uncovered  more  and  more  those  sands 
where  the  Santa  Maria  lay  huddled  and  dying.  The  Admiral 
gazed,  and  the  tears  ran  down  his  face.  He  was  so  great 
that  he  never  thought  to  hide  just  emotion.  He  spoke  as 
though  to  himself.  "  Many  sins  have  I,  many,  many !  But 
thou  wilt  not,  O  God,  cast  me  utterly  away  because  of  them ! 
I  will  not  doubt  Thee,  nor  my  calling ! " 

There  was  little  space  about  him.  The  Nina  seemed  to 
quiver,  packed  and  dark  with  men.  His  deep  voice  went  on, 
and  they  could  hear  him,  but  he  did  not  seem  to  know  that 
they  were  there.  "  As  though  upon  a  raft,  here  a  thousand 
leagues  in  Ocean-Sea!  Yet  wilt  Thou  care  for  thy  Good 
News.  I  will  come  to  Spain,  and  I  will  tell  it.  Chosen,  and 
almost  by  very  name  pointed  out  in  Thy  Book !  The  first 
Christian  shore  that  I  touch  I  will  walk  barefoot  and  in  my 
shirt  at  the  head  of  twelve  to  the  first  shrine.  And,  O  my 
Lord,  never  more  will  I  forget  that  that  tomb  in  which 

[ISO] 


thou  didst  rest,  still,  still  is  held  by  the  infidel ! "  He  beat 
his  breast.  "  Mea  culpa!  mea  culpa!" 

His  voice  sank,  he  looked  at  the  sky,  then  with  a  turn 
of  the  wrist  at  the  wheel  he  put  that  by  and  became  again 
the  vigilant  Admiral  of  a  fleet  of  one.  "  She  will  hold  to 
gether  yet  a  while !  When  the  tide  is  out,  we  can  get  to  her 
and  empty  her.  Take  all  ashore  that  can  be  carried  or  floated 
and  may  be  of  use.  Up  and  down  —  down  and  up !  " 

The  inhabitants  of  Hispaniola  were  now  about  us  in 
canoes  or  swimming.  They  seemed  to  cry  out  in  distress 
and  sympathy,  gazing  at  the  Santa  Mafia  as  though  it  were 
a  god  dying  there.  Their  own  canoes  were  living  things  to 
them  as  is  any  ship  to  a  mariner,  and  by  analogy  our  great 
canoe  was  a  Being  dying,  more  of  a  Being  than  theirs,  be 
cause  it  had  wings  and  could  open  and  fold  them.  And 
then  back  came  our  boat  with  Diego  de  Arana  and  the  others, 
and  they  had  with  them  that  same  brother  of  the  cacique  who 
had  come  to  us  in  St.  Thomas  Harbor.  And  had  we  been 
wrecked  off  Palos,  not  Palos  could  have  showed  more  con 
cern  or  been  more  ready  to  help  than  were  these  men. 

We  had  three  boats  and  the  Indian  canoes  and  hands 
enough,  white  and  copper-hued.  Now  at  low  tide,  we  could 
approach  and  enter  the  Santa  Maria.  A  great  breach  had 
been  made  and  water  was  deep  in  her  hold,  but  we  could 
get  at  much  of  casks  and  chests,  and  could  take  away  sails 
and  cordage,  even  her  two  cannon.  Eventually,  as  she  broke 
up,  we  might  float  away  to  shore  much  of  her  timber.  When 
I  looked  from  the  wreck  to  the  little  Nina,  I  could  see, 
limned  as  it  were  in  air,  the  Viceroy's  first  colony,  set  in 
Hispaniola,  beside  Guacanagari's  town.  All  Christmas  day 
we  toiled  and  the  Indians  at  our  side.  We  found  them  ready, 
not  without  skill,  gay  and  biddable. 

Toward  sunset  came  Guacanagari.  All  the  little  shore  was 
strewn  and  heaped  with  our  matters.  And  here  I  will  say 
that  no  Indian  stole  that  day  though  he  might  have  stolen, 
and  though  our  possessions  seemed  to  him  great  wonders 
and  treasure  beyond  estimation.  What  was  brought  from 

[151] 


1492 


the  Santa  Maria  lay  in  heaps  and  our  men  came  and  went. 
The  most  of  our  force  was  ashore  or  in  the  boats ;  only  so 
many  on  the  Nina.  The  Admiral,  just  returned  to  the  ship, 
stretched  himself  upon  the  bench  in  her  small  cabin.  Power 
ful  was  his  frame  and  constitution,  and  powerfully  tried 
all  his  life  with  a  thousand  strains  and  bufferings !  It  seemed 
still  to  hold ;  he  looked  a  muscular,  sinewy,  strong  and  ruddy 
man.  But  there  were  signs  that  a  careful  eye  -might  find. 
He  lay  upon  the  bench  in  the  cabin  and  I,  who  was  his 
physician,  brought  him  wine  and  biscuit  and  made  him  eat 
and  drink  who,  I  knew,  had  not  touched  food  since  the 
evening  before;  after  which  I  told  him  to  close  eyes  and 
go  away  to  Genoa  and  boyhood.  He  shut  them,  and  I  sit 
ting  near  brought  my  will  as  best  I  could  to  the  quieting 
of  all  heavy  and  sorrowful  waves. 

But  then  the  cacique  came.  So  small  was  the  Nina  that 
we  could  hear  well  enough  the  word  of  his  arrival.  The 
Admiral  opened  his  eyes  and  sat  stiffly  up.  He  groaned 
and  took  his  head  into  his  hands,  then  dropped  these  and 
with  a  shake  of  his  shoulders  resumed  command.  So  many 
and  grievous  a  sea  had  dashed  over  him  and  retreated  and 
he  had  stood !  What  he  said  now  was,  "  The  tide  of  the 
spirit  goes  out;  the  tide  comes  back  in.  Let  it  come  back  a 
spring  tide !  " 

Guacanagari  entered.  This  cacique,  whose  fortunes  now 
began  to  be  intertwined  with  ours,  had  his  likeness,  so  far 
as  went  state  and  custom,  to  that  Cuban  chieftain  whom  Luis 
Torres  and  I  had  visited.  But  this  was  an-  easier,  less 
strongly  fibred  person,  a  big,  amiable,  indolent  man  with 
some  quality  of  a  great  dog  who,  accepting  you  and  be 
coming  your  friend,  may  never  be  estranged.  He  was 
brave  after  his  fashion,  gifted  enough  in  simple  things.  In 
Europe  he  would  have  been  an  easy,  well-liked  prince  or 
duke  of  no  great  territory.  He  kept  a  simple  state,  wore 
some  slight  apparel  of  cotton  and  a  golden  necklet.  He 
brought  gifts  and  an  unfeigned  sympathy  for  that  death 
upon  the  sand  bar. 

[152] 


14C)Q 


He  and  the  Admiral  sat  and  talked  together.  "  Gods 
from  heaven  ?  "  —  "  Christian  men  and  from  Europe/'  and 
we  could  not  make  him,  at  this  time,  understand  that  that 
was  not  the  same  thing.  We  began  to  comprehend  that 
"  heaven  "  was  a  word  of  many  levels,  and  that  they  ascribed 
to  it  everything  that  they  chose  to  consider  good  and  that 
was  manifestly  out  of  the  range  of  their  experience. 

In  his  turn  the  Admiral  was  ready  for  all  that  Guacana- 
gari  could  tell  him.  "  Gold  ?  "  His  eyes  were  upon  the 
Indian's  necklet.  Removing  it,  the  cacique  laid  it  in  the 
god's  hand.  All  Indians  now.  understood  that  we  made 
high  magic  with  gold,  getting  out  of  it  virtues  beyond  their 
comprehension.  In  return  the  Admiral  gave  him  a  small 
brazen  gong  and  hammer.  "  Where  did  they  get  the  gold  ?  " 
Again  like  the  Cuban  chief  this  cacique  waved  his  hand  to 
the  mountains.  "  Cibao !  "  and  then  turning  he  too  pointed 
to  the  south.  "  Much  gold  there,"  said  Diego  Colon.  "  In 
land,  in  the  mountains,"  quoth  the  Admiral,  "  and  evidently, 
in  very  great  quantity,  in  some  land  to  the  south!  This  is 
not  Cipango,  but  I  think  that  Cipango  lies  to  the  south." 
He  asked  who  ruled  Hayti  that  we  called  Hispaniola.  We 
understood  that  there  were  a  number  of  caciques,  but  that 
for  a  day's  journey  every  way  it  was  Guacanagari's  country. 
"  A  cacique  who  ruled  them  all  ?  "  No,  there  was  no  such 
thing. 

"  Had  ships  like  ours  and  clothed  men  ever  before  come 
to  them?" 

No,  never!  But  then  he  seemed  to  say  that  there  was 
undoubtedly  a  tradition.  Gods  had  come,  and  would  come 
again,  and  when  they  did  so  great  things  would  follow! 
But  no  cacique  nor  priest  nor  any  knew  when  the  gods 
had  come. 

The  Admiral  made  some  question  of  Caribs.  Again  there 
was  gesture  southward,  though  it  seemed  to  us  that  some 
thing  was  said  of  folk  within  this  great  island  who  were 
at  least  like  Caribs.  And  where  was  the  most  gold  and 
the  greatest  other  wealth  that  they  knew  of?  Again  south, 

[153] 


though  this  time  we  thought  it  rather  south  by  west.  The 
Admiral  sighed,  and  spoke  of  Cuba.  Yes,  Guacanagari 
knew  of  Cuba.  Had  it  end  far  yonder  to  the  westward,  or 
no  end?  Had  any  one  ever  come  to  its  end?  The  cacique 
thought  not,  or  knew  not  and  assumed  deliberation.  Luis 
and  I  agreed  that  we  had  not  met  among  these  Indians 
any  true  notion  of  a  continent.  To  them  Hayti  was  vast, 
Cuba  was  vast,  the  lands  of  the  Caribs,  wherever  they  were, 
were  vast,  and  vast  whatever  other  islands  there  might  be. 
To  them  this  was  the  GEcumene,  the  inhabited  and  inhabit 
able  world.  Europe  —  Asia  —  Africa?  Their  faces  stayed 
blank.  Were  these  divisions  of  heaven? 

Guacanagari  would  entertain  and  succor  us.  This  canoe 
—  oh,  the  huge  marvel !  —  was  too  crowded !  Yonder  lay  his 
town.  All  the  houses  that  we  might  want  were  ours,  all 
the  hammocks,  all  the  food.  And  he  would  feast  the  gods. 
That  had  been  preparing  since  yesterday.  A  feast  with 
dancing.  He  hoped  the  great  cacique  and  his  people  from 
far  nearer  heaven  than  was  Guacanagari  would  live  as  long 
as  might  be  in  his  town.  Guarico  was  his  town.  A  big, 
easy,  amiable,  likeable  man,  he  sat  in  nakedness  only  not 
utter,  save  for  that  much  like  a  big  hidalgo  offering  sym 
pathy  and  shelter  to  some  fire-ousted  or  foe-ousted  prince! 
As  for  the  part  of  prince  it  was  not  hard  for  the  Admiral 
to  play  it.  He  was  one  naturally. 

He  thanked  the  cacique  to  whom,  I  could  see,  he  had  taken, 
liking.  Seven  houses  would  be  enough.  To-night  some  of 
us  would  sleep  upon  the  beach  beside  the  heaped  goods. 
To-morrow  we  would  visit  Guacanagari.  The  big,  lazy, 
peaceable  man  expressed  his  pleasure,  then  with  a  wide  and 
dignified  gesture  dismissing  all  that,  asked  to  be  shown 
marvels. 


[154] 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

GUACANAGARI'S  town  was  much  perhaps  as  was 
Goth  town,  Frank  town,  Saxon  town,  Latin  town, 
sufficient  time  ago.  As  for  clothed  and  unclothed, 
that  may  be  to  some  degree  a  matter  of  cold  or  warm 
weather.  We  had  not  seen  that  ever  it  was  cold  in  this 
land. 

Guacanagari  feasted  us  with  great  dignity  and  earnest 
ness,  for  he  and  his  people  held  it  a  momentous  thing  our 
coming  here,  our  being  here.  Utias  we  had  and  iguana, 
fish,  cassava  bread,  potato,  many  a  delicious  fruit,  and 
that  mild  drink  that  they  made.  And  we  had  calabashes, 
trenchers  and  fingers,  stone  knives  with  which  certain  officers 
of  the  feast  decorously  divided  the  meat,  small  gourds  for 
cups,  water  for  cleansing,  napkins  of  broad  leaves.  It  was 
a  great  and  comely  feast.  But  before  the  feast,  as  in  Cuba, 
the  dance. 

I  should  say  that  three  hundred  young  men  and  maidens 
danced.  They  advanced,  they  retreated,  they  cowered,  they 
pressed  forward.  They  made  supplication,  arms  to  heaven 
or  forehead  to  ground,  they  received,  they  were  grateful, 
they  circled  fast  in  ease  of  mind,  they  hungered  again  and 
were  filled  again,  they  flowed  together,  they  made  a  great 
square,  chanting  proudly! 

Fray  Ignatio  beside  me  glowered,  so  far  as  so  good  a 
man  could  glower.  But  Juan  Lepe  said,  "  It  is  doubt  and 
difficulty,  approach,  reconciliation,  holy  triumph !  They 
are  acting  out  long  pilgrimages  and  arrivals  at  sacred  cities 
and  hopes  for  greater  cities.  It  is  much  the  same  as  in 

[155] 


Seville  or  Rome !  "  Whereupon  he  looked  at  me  in  astonish 
ment,  and  Jayme  de  Marchena  said  to  Juan  Lepe,  "  Hold 
thy  tongue !  " 

Dance  and  the  feast  over,  it  became  the  Admiral's  turn. 
He  was  set  not  to  seem  dejected,  not  to  give  any  Spaniard 
nor  any  Indian  reason  to  say,  "  This  Genoese  —  or  this 
god  —  does  not  sustain  misfortune!"  But  he  sat  calm, 
pleased  with  all;  brotherly,  fatherly,  by  that  big,  easy,  con 
tented  cacique.  Now  he  would  furnish  the  entertainment! 
Among  us  we  had  one  Diego  Minas,  a  huge  man  and  as 
mighty  a  bowman  as  any  in  Flanders  or  England.  Him 
the  Admiral  now  put  forward  with  his  great  crossbow  and 
long  arrows.  A  stir  ran  around.  "  Carib !  Carib !  "  We 
made  out  that  those  mysterious  Caribs  had  bows  and  ar 
rows,  though  not  great  ones  like  this.  Guacanagari  em 
ployed  gestures  and  words  that  Luis  Torres  and  I  strove 
to  understand.  We  gathered  that  several  times  in  the 
memory  of  man  the  Caribs  had  come  in  many  canoes,  warred 
dreadfully,  killed  and  taken  away.  More  than  that,  some 
where  in  Hayti  or  Quisquaya  or  Hispaniola  were  certain 
people  who  knew  the  weapon.  "  Caonabo !  "  He  repeated 
the  name  with  respect  and  disliking.  "  Caonabo,  Caonabo !  " 
Perhaps  the  Caribs  had  made  a  settlement. 

Diego  fastened  a  leaf  upon  the  bark  of  a  tree  and  from 
a  great  distance  transfixed  it  with  an  arrow,  then  in  succes 
sion  sent  four  others  against  the  trunk,  making  precisely 
the  form  of  a  cross.  The  Indians  cried,  "  Hai !  Hai !  " 
But  when  the  four  harquebus  men  set  up  their  iron  rests, 
fixed  the  harquebuses,  and  firing  cut  leaves  and  twigs  from 
the  same  tree,  there  was  a  louder  crying.  And  when  there 
was  dragged  forth,  charged  with  powder  and  fired,  one  of 
the  lombards  taken  from  the  Santa  Maria,  wider  yet  sprang 
the  commotion.  Pedro  Gutierrez  and  a  young  cavalier  from 
the  Nina  deigned  to  show  lance  play,  and  Vicente  Pinzon 
who  had  served  against  the  Moors  took  a  great  sword  and 
with  it  carved  calabashes  and  severed  green  boughs.  The 
sword  was  very  marvelous  to  them.  We  might  have  danced 

[156] 


for  them  for  Spain  knows  how  to  dance,  or  we  might  have 
sung  for  them,  for  our  mariners  sing  at  sea.  But  these 
were  not  the  superior  things  we  wished  to  show  them. 

Guacanagari,  big  and  easy  and  gentle,  said,  "  Live  here, 
you  who  are  so  great  and  good!  We  will  take  you  into 
the  people.  We  shall  be  brothers."  We  understood  them 
that  the  great  white  heron  was  their  guardian  spirit  and 
would  be  ours.  I  said,  "  They  do  not  think  of  it  as  just 
those  stalking,  stilly  standing  birds !  It  is  a  name  for  some 
thing  hovering,  brooding,  caring  for  them/' 

The  Viceroy  spoke  with  energy.  "  Tell  them  of  Father, 
Son  and  Holy  Ghost!" 

Fray  Ignatio  stood  and  spoke,  gentle  and  plain.  Diego 
Colon  made  what  headway  he  could.  Guacanagari  listened, 
attentive.  The  Franciscan  had  a  certainty  that  presently 
he  might  begin  to  baptize.  His  face  glowed.  I  heard  him 
say  to  the  Admiral,  "If  it  be  possible,  Senor,  leave  me 
here  when  you  return  to  Spain!  I  will  convert  this  chief 
and  all  his  people  —  by  the  time  you  come  again  there  shall 
be  a  church !  " 

"  Let  me  ponder  it  yet  a  while,"  answered  the  other. 

He  was  thoughtful  when  he  went  back  to  the  Nina. 
Vicente  Pinzon,  too,  was  anxious  for  light.  "  This  ship 
is  crowded  to  sinking!  If  we  meet  wretched  weather,  or  if 
sickness  break  out,  returning,  we  shall  be  in  bad  case !  " 
Roderigo  Sanchez  also  had  his  word.  "  Is  it  not  very  im 
portant,  Senor,  that  we  should  get  the  tidings  to  the  Sover 
eigns?  And  we  have  now  just  this  one  small  ship,  and  so 
far  to  go,  and  all  manner  of  dangers !  " 

"  Aye,  it  is  important !  "  said  the  Admiral.  "  Let  me 
think  it  out,  Senor." 

He  had  not  slept  at  all,  thought  Juan  Lepe,  when  next 
morning  he  came  among  us.  But  he  looked  resolved,  hardy 
to  accomplish.  He  had  his  plan,  and  he  gave  it  to  us  in 
his  deep  voice  that  always  thrilled  with  much  beside  the 
momentary  utterance.  We  would  build  a  fort  here  on  shore, 
hard  by  this  village,  felling  wood  for  it  and  using  also  the 

[157] 


timbers  of  the  Santa  Maria.  We  would  mount  there  her 
two  guns  and  provide  an  arsenal  with  powder,  shot,  harque 
buses  and  bows.  Build  a  fort  and  call  it  La  Navidad,  be 
cause  of  Christmas  day  when  was  the  wreck.  It  should 
have  a  garrison  of  certainly  thirty  men,  a  man  for  each 
year  of  Our  Lord's  life  when  He  began  his  mission.  So 
many  placed  in  Hispaniola  would  much  lighten  the  Nina, 
which  indeed  must  be  lightened  in  order  with  safety  to  re- 
cross  Ocean-Sea.  For  yes,  we  would  go  back  to  Palos! 
Go,  and  come  again  with  many  and  better  ships,  with  hidal 
gos  and  missionary  priests,  and  very  many  men!  In  the 
meantime  so  many  should  stay  at  La  Navidad. 

"  In  less  than  a  year  —  much  less,  I  promise  it  —  I  the 
Admiral  will  be  here  again  at  La  Navidad,  when  will  come 
happy  greeting  between  brothers-  in  the  greatest  service  of 
our  own  or  many  ages!  Sea  and  land,  God  will  keep  us 
so  long  as  we  are  His ! " 

All  loved  Christopherus  Columbus  that  day.  None  was  to 
be  forced  to  stay  at  La  Navidad.  It  was  easy  to  gain 
thirty;  in  the  end  there  tarried  thirty-eight. 

The  building  of  the  fort  became  a  pleasurable  enter 
prise.  We  broke  up  with  singing  the  Santa  Maria,  and 
with  her  bones  built  the  walls.  Guacanagari  and  his  people 
helped.  All  was  hurried.  The  Admiral  and  Viceroy,  now 
that  his  mind  was  made  up,  would  depart  as  soon  as  might 
be. 

We  built  La  Navidad  where  it  might  view  the  sea,  upon 
a  hillside  above  a  brown  river  sliding  out  to  ocean.  Beyond 
the  stream,  in  the  groves,  a  quarter-league  away,  stood  the 
hundred  huts  of  Guarico.  We  built  a  tower  and  store 
house  and  wall  of  wood  and  we  digged  around  all  some  kind 
of  moat,  and  mounted  three  lombards.  All  that  we  could 
lift  from  the  Santa  Maria  and  what  the  Nina  could  spare 
us  of  arms,  conveniences  and  food  went  into  our  arsenal 
and  storehouse.  We  had  a  bubbling  spring  within  the  en 
closure.  When  all  was  done  the  tower  of  La  Navidad, 
though  an  infant  beside  towers  of  Europe,  might  suffice 

[158] 


for  the  first  here  of  its  brood.    It  was  done  in  a  week  from 
that  shipwreck. 

Who  was  to  be  left  at  La  Navidad?  Leave  was  given  to 
volunteer  and  the  mariners'  list  was  soon  made  up,  good 
men  and  not  so  good.  From  the  poop  there  volunteered 
Pedro  Gutierrez  and  Roderigo  de  Escobedo.  The  Admiral 
did  not  block  their  wish,  but  he  gave  the  command  not  to 
Escobedo  who  wished  it,  but  to  Diego  de  Arana  whom 
he  named  to  stay,  having  persuaded  him  who  would  rather 
have  returned  with  the  Nina.  But  he  could  trust  Diego  de 
Arana,  and,  with  reason,  he  was  not  sure  of  those  other  hidal 
gos.  De  Arana  stayed  and  fulfilled  his  trust,  and  died  a  brave 
man.  Fray  Ignatio  would  stay.  "  Bring  me  back,  Sefior,  a 
goodly  bell  for  the  church  of  La  Navidad!  A  bell  and  a 
font." 

Juan  Lepe  would  stay.  There  needed  a  physician.  But 
also  Jayme  de  Marchena  would  stay.  He  thought  it  out. 
Six  months  had  not  abolished  the  Holy  Office  nor  converted 
to  gentleness  Don  Pedro  nor  the  Dominican. 

But  the  Admiral  had  assigned  me  to  return  with  the 
Nina.  I  told  him  in  the  evening  between  the  sunset  and 
the  moonrise  what  was  the  difficulty.  He  was  a  man  pro 
foundly  religious,  and  also  a  docile  son  of  the  Church.  But 
I  knew  him,  and  I  knew  that  he  would  find  reasons  in 
the  Bible  for  not  giving  me  up.  The  deep  man,  the  whole 
man,  was  not  in  the  grasp  of  bishop  or  inquisitor  or  papal 
bull. 

He  agreed.  "  Aye,  it  is  wiser !  I  count  two  months  to 
Spain,  seeing  that  we  may  not  have  so  favorable  a  voyage. 
Three  or  maybe  four  there,  for  our  welcome  at  court,  and 
for  the  gathering  a  fleet  —  easy  now  to  gather  for  all  will 
flock  to  it,  and  masters  and  owners  cry,  '  Take  my  ship  — 
and  mine ! '  Two  months  again  to  recross.  Look  for  me  it 
may  be  in  July,  it  may  be  in  August,  it  may  be  in  Septem 
ber!" 

The  Viceroy  spoke  to  us,  gathered  by  our  fort,  under 
the  banner  of  Castile,  with  behind  us  on  hill  brow  a  cross 

[159] 


gleaming.  Again,  all  that  we  had  done  for  the  world  and 
might  further  do!  Again,  we  returning  on  the  Nina  or 
we  remaining  at  La  Navidad  were  as  crusaders,  knights 
of  the  Order  of  the  Purpose  of  God !  "  Cherish  good  — 
oh,  men  of  the  sea  and  the  land,  cherish  good!  Who  be 
trays  here  betrays  almost  as  Judas!  The  Purpose  of  God 
is  Strength  with  Wisdom  and  Charity  which  only  can  make 
Joy !  Therefore  be  ye  here  at  La  Navidad  strong,  wise  and 
charitable!" 

He  said  more,  and  he  gave  many  an  explicit  direction, 
but  that  was  the  gist  of  all.  Strength,  wisdom  and  charity. 

Likewise  he  spoke  to  the  Indians  and  they  listened  and 
promised  and  meant  good.  An  affection  had  sprung  be 
tween  Guacanagari  and  Christopherus  Columbus.  So  differ 
ent  they  looked !  and  yet  in  the  breast  of  each  dwelled  much 
guilelessness  and  the  ability  to  wonder  and  revere.  The 
Viceroy  saw  in  this  big,  docile  ruler  of  Guarico  however 
far  that  might  extend,  one  who  would  presently  be  baptized 
and  become  a  Christian  chief,  man  of  the  Viceroy  of  Hispan- 
iola,  as  the  latter  was  man  of  the  Sovereigns  of  Spain.  All 
his  people  would  follow  Guacanagari.  He  saw  Christendom 
here  in  the  west,  and  a  great  feudal  society,  acknowledging 
Castile  for  overlord,  and  Alexander  the  Sixth  as  its  spiritual 
ruler. 

Guacanagari  may  have  seen  friends  in  the  gods,  and  espe 
cially  in  this  their  cacique,  who  with  others  that  they  would 
bring,  would  be  drawn  into  Guarico  and  made  one  and  whole 
with  the  people  of  the  heron.  But  he  never  saw  Guacana 
gari  displanted  —  never  saw  Europe  armed  and  warlike, 
hungry  and  thirsty. 

The  Nina  and  La  Navidad  bade  with  tears  each  the  other 
farewell.  It  was  the  second  of  January,  fourteen  hundred 
and  ninety-three.  We  had  mass  under  the  palm  trees,  by 
the  cross,  above  the  fort.  Fray  Ignatio  blessed  the  going, 
blessed  the  staying.  We  embraced,  we  loved  one  another,  we 
parted.  The  Nina  was  so  small  a  ship,  even  there  just 
before  us  on  the  blue  water!  So  soon,  so  soon,  the  wind 

[160] 


149Q 


blowing  from  the  land,  she  was  smaller  yet,  smaller,  smaller, 
a  cock  boat,  a  chip,  gone! 

Thirty-eight  white  men  watched  her  from  the  hill  above 
the  fort,  and  of  the  thirty-eight  Juan  Lepe  was  the  only  one 
who  saw  the  Admiral  come  again. 


[161] 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

THE  butio  of  this  town  had  been  absent  for  some  reason 
in  the  great  wood  those  days  of  the  shipwreck  and 
the  building  of  La  Navidad.  Now  he  was  again  here, 
and  I  consorted  with  him  and  chiefly  from  him  learned 
their  language.  The  Admiral  had  taken  Diego  Colon  to 
Spain,  and  to  Spain  was  gone  too  Luis  Torres,  swearing 
that  he  would  come  again.  To  Spain  was  gone  Sancho,  but 
Beltran  the  cook  stayed  with  us.  Pedro  and  Fernando  also. 

Time  passed.  With  the  ending  of  January  the  heat  in 
creased.  The  butio  knew  all  manner  of  simples;  he  was 
doctor  and  priest  together.  He  had  a  very  simple  magic. 
He  himself  did  not  expect  it  to  reach  the  Great  Spirit,  but 
it  might  affect  the  innumerable  zemes  or  under  and  under- 
under  spirits.  These  barbarians,  using  other  words  for 
them,  had  letter-notion  of  gnome,  sylph,  undine  and  sala 
mander.  All  things  lived  and  took  offense  or  became  pro 
pitious.  Effort  consisted  in  making  them  propitious.  If 
the  effort  was  too  great  one  of  them  killed  you.  Then  you 
went  to  the  shadowy  caves.  There  was  a  paradise,  too, 
beautiful  and  easy.  But  the  Great  Spirit  could  not  be  hurt 
and  had  no  wish  to  hurt  any  one  else,  whether  zemes  or  men. 
To  live  with  the  Great  Spirit,  that  was  really  the  Heron 
wish,  though  the  little  herons  could  not  always  see  it 

This  butio  —  Guarin  his  name  —  was  a  young  man  with 
eyes  that  could  burn  and  voice  that  fell  naturally  into  a 
chant.  He  took  me  into  the  forest  with  him  to  look  for  a 
very  rare  tree.  When  it  was  found  I  watched  him  gather 
plants  from  beneath  it  and  scrape  bits  off  its  bark  into  a 

[162] 


small  calabash.  I  understood  that  it  was  good  for  fever, 
and  later  I  borrowed  from  him  and  found  that  he  had 
grounds  for  what  he  said. 

La  Navidad  and  Guarico  neighbored  each  other.  The 
Indians  came  freely  to  the  fort,  but  Diego  de  Arana  made 
a  good  alcayde  and  he  would  not  have  mere  crowding  within 
our  wooden  wall.  Half  of  our  thirty-eight,  permitted  at  a 
time  to  wander,  could  not  crowd  Guarico.  But  in  himself 
each  Spaniard  seemed  a  giant.  At  first  a  good  giant,  pro 
foundly  interesting.  But  I  was  to  see  pleased  interest  be 
come  a  painful  interest. 

Women.  The  first  complaint  arose  about  the  gods  or  the 
giants  and  women.  Guacanagari  came  to  La  Navidad  with 
Guarin  and  several  old  men  his  councilors.  Diego  de  Arana 
received  them  and  there  was  talk  under  the  great  tree  within 
our  gate.  Then  all  the  garrison  was  drawn  up,  and  in  the 
presence  of  the  cacique  Arana  gave  rebuke  and  command, 
and  the  two  that  had  done  the  outrage  had  prison  for 
a  week.  It  was  our  first  plain  showing  in  this  world  that 
heaven-people  or  Europeans  could  differ  among  themselves 
as  to  right  and  wrong,  could  quarrel,  upbraid  and  punish. 
But  here  was  evidently  good  and  bad.  And  what  might  be 
the  proportion?  As  days  went  by  the  question  gathered  in 
this  people's  bosom. 

It  was  not  that  their  women  stood  aloof  from  our  men. 
Many  did  not  so  in  the  least !  But  it  was  to  be  free  will  and 
actual  fondness,  and  in  measure.  —  But  there  were  those 
among  us  who,  finding  in  lonely  places,  took  by  force.  These 
became  hated. 

Diego  de  Arana  was  to  collect  the  gold  that  was  a  royal 
monopoly.  Trading  for  gold  for  one's  self  was  forbidden. 
Assuredly  taking  it  by  force  —  assuredly  all  robbery  of  that 
or  anything  else  —  was  forbidden.  But  there  came  a  rob 
bery,  and  since  it  was  resisted,  murder  followed.  This 
was  a  league  from  Guarico  and  from  La  Navidad.  The 
slain  Indian's  companion  escaping,  told. 

This  time  Diego  de  Arana  went  to  Guarico  and  Guacana- 
[163] 


1490 


gari.  He  took  with  him  a  rich  present,  and  he  showed  how 
the  guilty  men  were  punished.  "  You  do  not  slay  them?" 
asked  Guacanagari.  Arana  shook  his  head.  He  thought 
we  were  too  few  in  this  land  to  be  ridding  of  life  the  violent 
and  lustful.  But  the  Indians  seemed  to  think  that  he  said 
that  he  could  not.  They  still  doubted,  I  think,  our  mortality. 
As  yet  they  had  seen  no  mighty  stranger  bleed  or  die. 

Arana  would  have  kept  his  garrison  within  the  walls. 
But  indeed  it  was  not  healthful  for  them  there,  and  at  the 
very  word  of  confinement  faction  rose.  There  were  now 
two  parties  in  La  Navidad,  the  Commandant's  party  and 
Escobedo's  party. 

The  heat  increased.  It  was  now  March.  An  illness  fell 
among  us.  I  took  Guarin  into  counsel  and  gave  in  water  the 
bitter  inner  bark  of  that  tree  shredded  and  beaten  fine.  Those 
who  shook  with  cold  and  burned  with  fever  recovered. 

Fray  Ignatio  was  among  those  who  sickened.  He  left 
after  some  days  his  hammock,  but  his  strength  did  not  come 
back  to  him.  Yet,  staff  in  hand,  he  went  almost  daily  to 
Guarico.  Then,  like  that!  Fray  Ignatio  died.  He  died 
—  his  heart  stopped  —  on  the  path  between  Guarico  and 
La  Navidad.  He  had  been  preaching,  and  then,  Guarin  told 
me,  he  put  his  hand  to  his  side,  and  said,  "  I  will  go  home !  " 
He  started  up  the  path,  but  at  the  big  tree  he  dropped.  Men 
and  women  ran  to  him,  but  the  butio  was  dead. 

We  buried  Fray  Ignatio  beneath  the  cross  on  the  hilltop. 
The  Indians  watched,  and  now  they  knew  that  we  could 
die. 

The  heat  increased. 

At  first  Diego  de  Arana  sent  out  at  intervals  exploring 
parties.  We  were  to  learn,  at  least,  Guacanagari's  country. 
But  the  heat  was  great,  and  so  many  of  those  left  at  La 
Navidad  only  idle  and  sensual.  They  would  push  on  to  a 
village  —  we  found  in  Guacanagari's  country  many  hamlets, 
but  no  other  town  like  Guarico  —  and  there  they  would 
stop,  with  new  women,  new  talk,  and  the  endless  plenty 
to  eat  and  sleep  in  the  shade.  When,  at  their  own 

[164] 


sweet  will,  they  returned  to  La  Navidad,  the  difficulties 
had  been  too  great.  They  could  not  get  to  the  high  moun 
tains  where  might  or  might  not  be  the  mines.  But  what 
they  did  was  to  spread  over  the  country  scandalous  news  of 
scandalous  gods. 

At  last  Arana  sorted  out  those  who  could  be  trusted 
at  least  to  strive  for  knowledge  and  self-control  and  sent 
these.  But  that  weakened  him  at  La  Navidad,  draining 
him  of  pure  blood  and  leaving  the  infected,  and  by  mid- 
April  he  ceased  any  effort  at  exploration.  It  must  wait 
until  the  Admiral  returned,  and  he  began  to  be  hungry  indeed 
for  that  return. 

Escobedo  and  Pedro  Gutierrez  were  not  hungry  for 
it  —  not  yet.  These  two  became  the  head  and  front  of  ill, 
encouraging  every  insubordinate,  infuriating  all  who  suf 
fered  penalties,  teaching  insolence,  self-will  and  license.  They 
drew  their  own  feather  to  them,  promising  evil  knows  what 
freedom  for  rapine. 

All  the  silver  weather,  golden  weather,  diamond  weather 
since  we  had  left  Gomera  in  the  Canaries  —  how  many  ages 
since!  —  now  was  changed.  We  had  thought  it  would  last 
always,  but  now  we  entered  the  long  season  of  great  heat 
and  daily  rain.  At  first  we  thought  these  rains  momentary, 
but  day  after  day,  week  after  week,  with  stifling  heat,  the 
clouds  gathered,  broke,  and  came  mighty  rain  that  at  last 
ceased  to  be  refreshing,  became  only  wearying  and  hateful. 
It  did  not  cool  us;  we  lived  in  a  sultry  gloom.  And  the 
garrison  of  La  Navidad.  became  very  quarrelsome.  La  Navi 
dad  showed  the  Indians  Europeans  cursing  one  another, 
giving  blows,  only  held  back  by  those  around  from  rushing 
at  each  other,  stabbing  and  cutting.  Finally  they  saw  Tomaso 
Passamonte  kill  one  Jacamo.  Diego  de  Arana  hung  Tomaso 
Passamonte.  But  what  were  the  Indians  to  think?  Not 
what  they  thought  when  first  we  came  from  the  winged 
canoes  to  their  beaches. 

The  last  of  April  fell  the  second  sickness  and  it  was  far 
worse  than  the  first.  Eleven  men  died,  and  we  buried  them, 

[165] 


When  it  passed  we  were  twenty-five  Spaniards  in  Hispaniola, 
and  we  liked  not  the  Indians  as  well  as  we  had  done,  and 
they  liked  not  us.  Oh,  the  pity  —  pity  —  pity,  the  pity  and 
the  blame ! 

Guacanagari  came  to  visit  the  commandant,  none  with 
him  but  the  butio  Guarin,  and  desiring  to  speak  with 
Arana  out  of  the  company.  They  talked  beneath  the  big 
tree,  that  being  the  most  comfortable  and  commodious  coun 
cil  chamber.  Don  Diego  was  imperfect  yet  in  the  tongue 
of  Guarico,  and  he  called  Juan  Lepe  to  help  him  out. 

It  was  a  story  of  Caonabo,  cacique  of  Maguana  that  ran 
into  the  great  mountains  of  Cibao,  that  cacique  of  whom 
we  had  already  heard  as  being  like  Caribs-.  Caonabo  had 
sent  quite  secretly  two  of  his  brothers  to  Guacanagari.  He 
had  heard  ill  of  the  strangers  and  thought  they  were  demons, 
not  gods!  He  advised  the  cacique  of  Guarico  to  surprise 
them  while  they  slept  and  slay  them.  It  was  in  his  exper 
ience  that  all  who  ate  and  slept  could  be  slain.  If  his  brother 
Guacanagari  needed  help  in  the  adventure,  Caonabo  would 
give  it.  He  would  even  come  in  person. 

Diego  de  Arana  said,  "  What  did  you  answer,  O  Cacique?  " 

Guacanagari  spoke  at  some  length  of  our  Great  Cacique 
and  his  longing  that  he  might  return.  Everything  had  gone 
well  while  he  was  here !  "  He  will  return,"  said  Arana. 
"  And  he  has  your  word." 

Guacanagari  stated  that  he  meant  to  keep  his  word.  He 
had  returned  answer  to  Caonabo  that  there  had  been  mis 
fortunes  but  that  the  mighty  strangers  were  truly  mighty, 
and  almost  wholly  beneficent.  At  any  rate,  he  was  not 
prepared  to  slay  them,  did  not  wish  to  slay  them. 

Arana  spoke  vigorously,  pointing  out  to  the  cacique  all 
the  kindliness  that  had  attended  our  first  intercourse.  The 
unhappinesses  of  February,  March  and  April  he  attributed 
to  real  demons,  not  to  our  own  fiend  but  to  small  powers 
at  large,  maleficent  and  alarmed,  heathen  powers  in  short, 
jealous  of  the  introduction  of  the  Holy  Catholic  religion. 
Guacanagari  seemed  to  understand  about  these  powers.  He 

[166] 


14QQ 


looked  relieved.     But  Guarin  who  was  with  him  regarded 
the  sea  and  I  saw  his  lip  curl. 

The  commandant  wished  to  know  if  there  were  any  dan 
ger  of  Caonabo,  alone,  descending  upon  us  from  the  moun 
tains.  But  no !  Maguana  and  Guarico  were  friends.  They 
had  not  always  been  so,  but  now  they  were  friends.  De 
Arana  looked  doubtfully,  and  I  saw  him  determine  to  keep 
watch  and  ward  and  to  hold  the  men  within  or  near  to  fort. 
But  Guacanagari  sat  serene.  He  repeated  that  there  were 
always  preliminaries  before  wars,  and  that  for  a  long  time 
there  had  only  been  peace  between  Guarico  and  Maguana. 
"  Caonabo  is  Carib,"  said  the  young  copper  priest.  The 
cacique  answered,  "  Carib  long  ago.  Not  now/' 

At  sunset,  the  rain  ceasing  for  a  little,  the  earth  smoking, 
the  west  a  low,  vaporous  yellow,  the  swollen  river  sounding, 
Diego  de  Arana  had  summoned  by  the  drum  every  man  in 
La  Navidad.  He  stood  beneath  our  banner  and  put  his 
hand  upon  the  staff  and  spoke  earnestly  to  those  gathered 
before  him,  in  their  duty  and  out  of  their  duty.  He  told 
of  Caonabo,  and  of  his  own  sense  that  Guacanagari  was 
too  confident.  He  told  of  Guacanagari's  fidelity  to  the  Ad 
miral,  and  he  appealed  to  every  Christian  there  to  be  at 
least  as  faithful.  We  were  few  and  far  from  Spain,  and 
we  had  perhaps  more  than  we  could  conceive  in  trust.  "  Far 
from  Spain,  but  no  farther  than  we  will  from  the  blessed 
saints  and  the  true  Christ.  Let  us  put  less  distance  there, 
being  few  in  this  land  and  in  danger !  " 

He  knew  that  he  had  a  dozen  with  him,  and  looked  straight 
at  Escobedo. 

The  latter  said,  "  Live  in  the  open  and  die  there,  if  need 
be!  To  live  in  this  rat  hole,  breathing  plague,  is  dying 
already!  Caonabo  is  a  fable!  These  people!  Spaniards 
have  but  to  lift  voice  and  they  flee !  " 

He  received  from  his  following  acquiescent  sound.  Spoke 
Pedro  Gutierrez.  "  Guacanagari  wishes  to  bottle  us  here ; 
that  is  the  whole  of  it.  Why  play  his  game?  I  never  saw 
a  safer  land !  Only  La  Navidad  is  not  safe ! " 

[167] 


1499 


Those  two  had  half  and  perhaps  more  than  half  of  the 
garrison.  Arana  cried,  "  Don  Roderigo  de  Escobedo  and 
Don  Pedro  Gutierrez,  you  serve  the  Queen  ill !  " 

"  You,  Senor,"  answered  Gutierrez,  "  serve  my  Lady  Idle 
Fear  and  my  Lord  Incapacity !  " 

Whereupon  Arana  put  him  in  arrest  and  he  lay  that  night 
in  prison.  The  cloud  was  black  over  La  Navidad. 


[168] 


CHAPTER  XXV 

IT  did  not  lighten.  Escobedo  waited  two  days,  then  in 
the  dark  night,  corrupting  the  watch,  broke  gaol  for 
Pedro  Gutierrez  and  with  him  and  nine  men  quitted 
La  Navidad.  Beltran  the  cook  it  was  who  heard  and  pro 
cured  a  great  smoking  torch,  and  sent  out  against  them  a 
voice  like  a  bull  of  Bashan's.  Arana  sprang  up,  and  the 
rest  of  us  who  slept.  They  were  eleven  men,  armed  and 
alert.  There  were  shouts,  blows,  a  clutching  and  a  throw 
ing  off,  a  detaining  and  repelling.  In  the  east  showed  long 
ghost  fingers,  the  rain  held  away.  They  were  at  the  gate 
when  we  ran  upon  them ;  they  burst  it  open  and  went  forth, 
leaving  one  of  their  own  number  dead,  and  two  of  them 
who  stayed  with  Arana  desperately  hurt.  We  followed 
them  down  the  path,  through  the  wood,  but  they  had  the 
start.  They  did  not  go  to  Guarico,  but  they  seized  the  boat 
of  the  Santa  Maria  which  the  Admiral  had  left  with  us  and 
went  up  the  river.  We  heard  the  dash  of  their  oars,  then 
the  rain  came  down,  with  a  weeping  of  every  cloud. 

The  dead  man  they  left  behind  was  Fernando.  I  had  seen 
Pedro  in  the  gate,  going  forth. 

Fourteen  men,  two  of  whom  were  ill  and  two  wounded, 
stayed  at  La  Navidad.  Arana  said  with  passion,  "  Honest 
men  and  a  garrison  at  one !  There  is  some  gain !  " 

That  could  not  be  denied.  Gain  here,  but  how  about  it 
yonder  ? 

It  was  May.  And  now  the  rain  fell  in  a  great  copious 
flood,  huge-dropped  and  warm,  and  now  it  was  restrained 
for  a  little,  and  there  shone  a  sun  confused  and  fierce.  Earth 
and  forest  dripped  and  streamed  and  smoked.  We  were 

[169] 


Andalusians,  but  the  heat  drained  us.  But  we  held,  we  four 
teen  men.  Arana  did  well  at  La  Navidad.  We  all  did 
what  we  could  to  live  like  true  not  false  Castilians,  true  not 
false  Christians.  And  I  name  Beltran  the  cook  as  hero  and 
mighty  encourager  of  hearts. 

We  went  back  and  forth  between  La  Navidad  and  Guarico, 
for  though  the  Admiral  had  left  us  a  store  of  food  we  got 
from  them  fruit  and  maize  and  cassava.  They  were  all 
friendly  again,  for  the  fourteen  withheld  themselves  from 
excess.  Nor  did  we  quarrel  among  ourselves  and  show 
them  European  weakness. 

Guacanagari  remained  a  big,  easy,  somewhat  slothful, 
friendly  barbarian,  a  child  in  much,  but  brave  enough  when 
roused  and  not  without  common  sense.  He  had  an  itch  for 
marvels,  loved  to  hear  tales  of  our  world  that  for  all  one 
could  say  remained  to  them  witchcraft  and  cloudland,  world 
above  their  world!  What  could  they,  who  had  no  great 
beasts,  make  of  tales  of  horsemen?  What  could  their  huts 
know  of  palace  and  tower  and  cathedral,  their  swimmers  of 
stone  bridges,  their  canoes  of  a  thousand  ships  greater  far 
than  the  Santa  Maria  and  the  Nina?  What  could  Guarico 
know  of  Seville?  In  some  slight  wise  they  practiced  barter, 
but  huge  markets  and  fairs  to  which  traveled  from  all  quar 
ters  and  afar  merchants  and  buyers  went  with  the  tales  of 
horsemen.  And  so  with  a  thousand  things!  We  were  the 
waving  oak  talking  to  the  acorn. 

But  there  were  among  this  folk  two  or  three  ready  for 
knowledge.  Guarin  was  a  learning  soul.  He  foregathered 
with  the  physician  Juan  Lepe,  and  many  a  talk  they  had, 
like  a  master  and  pupil,  in  some  corner  of  La  Navidad,  or 
under  a  palm-thatched  roof,  or,  when  the  rain  held,  by  river 
or  sounding  sea.  He  had  mind  and  moral  sense,  though 
not  the  European  mind  at  best,  nor  the  European  moral 
sense  at  highest.  But  he  was  well  begun.  And  he  had 
beauty  of  form  and  countenance  and  an  eager,  deep  eye. 
Juan  Lepe  loved  him. 

It  was  June.  Guacanagari  came  to  La  Navidad,  and  his 
[170] 


brown  face  was  as  serious  as  a  tragedy.    "  Caonabo  ?  "  asked 
Diego  de  Arana. 

A  fortnight  before  this  the  cacique,  at  Arana's  desire, 
had  sent  three  Indians  in  a  canoe  up  the  river,  the  object 
news  if  possible  of  that  ten  who  had  departed  in  that  direc 
tion.  Now  the  Indians  were  back.  They  had  gone  a  long 
way  until  the  high  mountains  were  just  before  them,  and 
there  they  heard  news  from  the  last  folk  who  might  be 
called  Guarico  and  the  first  folk  who  might  be  called  Ma- 
guana.  The  mighty  strangers  had  gone  on  up  into  the 
mountains  and  Caonabo  had  put  them  to  death. 

"To  death!'1 

It  appeared  that  they  had  seized  women  and  had  beaten 
men  whom  they  thought  had  gold  which  they  would  not 
give.  They  were  madmen,  Escobedo  and  Gutierrez  and 
all  with  them! 

Guacanagari  said  that  Caonabo  had  invited  them  to  a  feast. 
It  was  spread  in  three  houses,  and  they  were  divided  so, 
and  around  each  Spaniard  was  put  a  ring  of  Indians.  They 
were  eating  and  drinking.  Caonabo  entered  the  first  house, 
and  his  coming  made  the  signal.  Escobedo  and  Pedro 
Gutierrez  were  in  this  house.  They  raised  a  shout,  "  Un 
done,  Spaniards ! "  But  though  they  were  heard  in  the 
other  houses  —  these  houses  being  nothing  more  than  booths 
—  it  was  to  no  use.  There  followed  struggle  and  massacre ; 
finally  Gutierrez  and  Escobedo  and  eight  men  lay  dead. 
But  certain  Indians  were  also  killed  and  among  them  a  son 
of  Caonabo. 

It  was  July.  We  began  to  long  toward  the  Admiral's 
return.  A  man  among  us  went  melancholy  mad,  watch 
ing  the  sea,  threatening  the  rain  when  it  came  down  and 
hid  the  sea,  and  the  Admiral  might  go  by !  At  last  he  threw 
himself  into  ocean  and  was  drowned.  Another  man  was 
bitten  by  a  serpent,  and  we  could  not  save  him.  We  were 
twelve  Spaniards  in  La  Navidad.  We  rested  friends  with 
Guarico,  though  now  they  held  us  to  be  nothing  more  than 
demigods.  And  indeed  by  now  we  were  ragged! 

[171] 


Then,  in  a  night,  it  came. 

Guacanagari  again  appeared.  It  had  reached  him  from 
up  the  river  that  Caonabo  was  making  pact  with  the  cacique 
of  Marien  and  that  the  two  meant  to  proceed  against  us. 
Standing,  he  spoke  at  length  and  eloquently.  If  he  rested 
our  friend,  it  might  end  in  his  having  for  foes  Maguana 
and  Marien.  There  had  been  long  peace,  and  Guarico  did 
not  desire  war.  Moreover,  Caonabo  said  that  it  was  idle 
to  dread  Caribs  and  let  in  the  mighty  strangers!  He  said 
that  all  pale  men,  afraid  of  themselves  so  that  they  covered 
themselves  up,  were  filled  with  evil  semes  and  were  worse 
than  a  thousand  Caribs !  But  Caonabo  was  a  mocker  and  a 
hard-of-heart !  Different  was  Guacanagari.  He  told  us 
how  different.  It  all  ended  in  great  hope  that  Caonabo  would 
think  better  of  it. 

We  kept  watch  and  ward.  Yet  we  could  not  be  utterly 
cooped  within  La  Navidad.  Errands  must  be  done,  food 
be  gathered.  More  than  that,  to  seem  to  Guarico  frightened, 
to  cry  that  we  must  keep  day  and  night  behind  wall  with 
cannon  trained,  notwithstanding,  that  Caonabo  might  be 
asleep  in  the  mountains  of  Cibao,  would  be  but  to  mine 
our  own  fame,  we  who,  for  all  that  had  passed,  still  seemed 
to  this  folk  mighty,  each  of  us  a  host  in  himself!  And  as 
nothing  came  out  of  the  forest,  and  no  more  messengers  of 
danger,  they  themselves  had  ceased  to  fear,  being  like  chil 
dren  in  this  wise.  And  we,  too,  at  last;  for  now  it  was 
late  August,  and  the  weather  was  better,  and  surely,  surely, 
any  day  we  might  see  a  white  point  rise  from  blue  ocean, 
—  a  white  point  and  another  and  another,  like  stars  after 
long  clouded  night  skies! 

So  we  watched  the  sea.  And  also  there  was  a  man  to 
watch  the  forest.  But  we  did  not  conceive  that  the  dragon 
would  come  forth  in  the  daytime,  nor  that  he  could  come 
at  any  time  without  our  hearing  afar  the  dragging  of  his 
body  and  the  whistling  of  his  breath. 

It  was  halfway  between  sunrise  and  noon.  Five  of  us 
were  in  the  village,  seven  at  La  Navidad,  The  five  were 

[172] 


there  for  melons  and  fruit  and  cassava  and  tobacco  which 
we  bought  with  beads  and  fishhooks  and  bits  of  bright  cloth. 
Three  of  the  seven  at  La  Navidad  were  out  of  gate,  down 
at  the  river,  washing  their  clothes.  Diego  Minas,  the  archer, 
on  top  of  wall,  watched  the  forest.  Walking  below,  Bel- 
tran  the  cook  was  singing  in  his  big  voice  a  Moorish  song 
that  they  made  much  of  year  before  last  in  Seville.  I  had  a 
book  of  Messer  Petrarca's  poems.  It  had  been  Gutierrez's, 
who  left  it  behind  when  he  broke  forth  to  the  mountains. 

Beltran's  voice  suddenly  ceased.  Diego  the  archer  above 
him  on  wall  had  cried  down,  "  Hush,  will  you,  a  moment !  " 

Diego  de  Arana  came  up.     "  What  is  it  ?  " 

"  I  thought,"  said  the  archer,  "  that  I  heard  a  strange 
shouting  from  toward  village.  Hark  ye !  There !  " 

We  heard  it,  a  confused  sound.  "  Call  in  the  men  from 
the  river !  "  Arana  ordered. 

Diego  Minas  sent  his  voice  down  the  slope.  The  three 
below  by  the  river  also  heard  the  commotion,  distant  as 
Guarico.  They  were  standing  up,  their  eyes  turned  that 
way.  Just  behind  them  hung  the  forest  out  of  which  slid, 
dark  and  smooth,  the  narrow  river. 

Out  of  the  forest  came  an  arrow  and  struck  to  the  heart 
Gabriel  Baraona.  Followed  it  a  wild  prolonged  cry  of  many 
voices,  peculiar  and  curdling  to  the  blood,  and  fifty  —  a 
hundred  —  a  host  of  naked  men  painted  black  with  white 
and  red  and  yellow  markings.  Guarico  did  not  use  bow 
and  arrow,  but  a  Carib  cacique  knew  them,  and  had  so 
many,  and  also  lances  flint  or  bone-headed,  and  clubs  with 
stones  wedged  in  them  and  stone  knives.  Gabriel  Baraona 
fell,  whether  dead  or  not  we  could  not  tell.  Juan  Morcillo 
and  Gonzalo  Fernandez  sent  a  scream  for  aid  up  to  La 
Navidad.  Now  they  were  hidden  as  some  small  thing  by 
furious  bees.  Diego  de  Arana  rushed  for  his  sword.  "  Down 
and  cut  them  out !  " 

Diego  Minas  fired  the  big  lombard,  but  for  fear  of  hurt 
ing  our  three  men  sent  wide  the  ball.  We  looked  for  terror 
always  from  the  flame,  the  smoke  and  great  noise,  and  so 

[173] 


there  was  terror  here  for  a  moment  and  a  bearing  back  in 
which  Juan  and  Gonzalo  got  loose  and  made  a  little  way  up 
path.  But  a  barbarian  was  here  who  could  not  long  be 
terrified.  Caonabo  sent  half  his  horde  against  Guarico,  but 
himself  had  come  to  La  Navidad.  That  painted  army  rallied 
and  overtook  the  fleeing  men. 

Shouting,  making  his  swung  sword  dazzle  in  light,  Diego 
de  Arana  raced  down  path,  and  Diego  Minas  and  Beltran 
the  cook  and  Juan  Lepe  with  him.  Many  a  time  since  then, 
in  this  island,  have  I  seen  half  a  dozen  Christians  with  their 
arms  and  the  superstitious  terror  that  surrounded  them  put 
to  flight  twenty  times  their  number.  But  this  was  early, 
and  the  spirit  of  these  naked  men  not  broken,  and  Caonabo 
faced  us.  It  was  he  himself  who,  when  three  or  four  had 
been  wounded  by  Arana,  suddenly  rushed  upon  the  com 
mandant.  With  his  stone-headed  club  he  struck  the  sword 
away,  and  he  plunged  his  knife  into  Arana's  breast.  He 
died,  a  brave  man  who  had  done  his  best  at  La  Navidad. 

Juan  Morcillo  and  Gonzalo  Fernandez  and  Diego  Minas 
were  slain.  I  saw  a  lifted  club  and  swerved,  but  too  late. 

Blackness  and  neither  care  nor  delight.  Then,  far  off, 
a  little  beating  of  surf  on  shore,  very  far  and  nothing  to  do 
with  anything.  Then  a  clue  of  pain  that  it  seemed  I  must 
follow  or  that  must  follow  me,  and  at  first  it  was  a  little 
thin  thread,  but  then  a  cable  and  all  my  care  was  to  thin 
it  again.  It  passed  into  an  ache  and  throb  that  filled  my 
being  like  the  rain  clouds  the  sky.  Then  suddenly  there 
were  yet  heavy  clouds  but  the  sky  around  and  behind.  I 
opened  my  eyes  and  sat  up,  but  found  that  my  arms  were 
bound  to  my  sides. 

•  "  We  aren't  dead,  and  that's  some  comfort,  Doctor,  as 
the  cock  said  to  the  other  cock  in  the  market  pannier !  " 
It  was  Beltran  the  cook  who  spoke  and  he  was  bound  like 
me.  Around  us  lay  the  five  dead.  A  score  of  Indians 
warded  us,  mighty  strangers  in  bonds,  and  we  heard  the 
rest  up  at  the  fort  where  they  were  searching  and  pillaging. 

Guarico,  and  the  men  there? 
[174] 


We  found  that  out  when  at  last  they  were  done  with  La 
Navidad  and  they  and  we  were  put  on  the  march.  We  came 
to  where  had  been  Guarico,  and  truly  for  long  we  had  smelled 
the  burning  of  it,  as  we  had  heard  the  crying  and  shouting. 
It  was  all  down,  the  frail  houses.  I  made  out  in  the  loud 
talking  that  followed  the  blending  of  Caonabo's  bands  what 
had  been  done  and  not  done.  Guacanagari,  wounded,  was 
fled  after  fighting  a  while,  he  and  his  brother  and  the  butio 
and  all  the  people.  But  the  mighty  strangers  found  in  the 
village,  were  dead.  They  had  run  down  to  the  sea,  but 
Caonabo's  men  had  caught  them,  and  after  hard  work  killed 
them.  Juan  Lepe  and  Beltran,  passing,  saw  the  five  bodies. 

I  do  not  think  that  Caonabo  had  less  than  a  thousand 
with  him.  He  had  come  in  force,  and  the  whole  as  silent 
as  a  bat  or  moth.  We  were  to  learn  over  and  over  again 
that  "  Indians  "  could  do  that,  travel  very  silently,  creatures 
of  the  forest  who  took  by  surprise.  Well,  Guarico  was  de 
stroyed,  and  Guacanagari  and  Guarin  fled,  and  in  all  Hispan- 
iola  were  only  two  Spaniards,  and  we  saw  no  sail  upon  the 
sea,  no  sail  at  all ! 


[175] 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

WE  turned  from  the  sea.  Thick  forest  came  between 
us  and  it.  We  were  going  with  Caonabo  to  the 
mountains.  Beltran  and  I  thought  that  it  had  been 
in  question  whether  he  should  kill  us  at  once,  or  hold  us  in 
life  until  we  had  been  shown  as  trophies  in  Maguana,  and 
that  the  pride  and  vanity  of  the  latter  course  prevailed.  Af 
ter  two  days  in  this  ruined  place,  during  which  we  saw  no 
Guarico  Indian,  we  departed.  The  raid  was  over.  All  their 
war  is  by  raid.  They  carried  everything  from  the  fort 
save  the  fort  itself  and  the  two  lombards.  In  the  narrow 
paths  that  are  this  world's  roads,  one  man  must  walk  after 
another,  and  their  column  seems  endless  where  it  winds  and 
is  lost  and  appears  again.  Beltran  and  I  were  no  longer 
bound.  Nor  were  we  treated  unkindly,  starved  nor  hurt  in 
any  way.  All  that  waited  until  we  should  reach  Caonabo's 
town. 

Caonabo  was  a  most  handsome  barbarian,  strong  and 
fierce  and  intelligent,  more  fierce,  more  intelligent  than  Gua- 
canagari.  All  had  been  painted,  but  the  heat  of  the  lowland 
and  their  great  exertion  had  made  the  coloring  run  and 
mix  most  unseemly.  When  they  left  Guarico  they  plunged 
into  the  river  and  washed  the  whole  away,  coming  out  clear 
red-brown,  shining  and  better  to  look  upon.  Caonabo 
washed,  but  then  he  would  renew  his  marking  with  the 
paint  which  he  carried  with  him  in  a  little  calabash. 

A  pool,  still  and  reflecting  as  any  polished  shield,  made  his 
mirror.  He  painted  in  a  terrific  pattern  what  seemed  meant 
for  lightning  and  serpent.  It  was  armor  and  plume  and 

[176] 


14C)Q 


banner  to  him.  I  thought  of  our  own  devices,  comforting 
or  discomforting  kinships !  He  had  black,  lustrous  hair,  no 
beard  —  they  pluck  out  all  body  hair  save  the  head  thatch 
— high  features,  a  studied  look  of  settled  and  cold  fierce 
ness.  Such  was  this  Carib  in  Hispaniola. 

Presently  they  put  a  watch  and  the  rest  all  lay  down  and 
slept,  Beltran  beside  me.  The  day  had  been  clear,  and  now 
a  great  moon  made  silver,  silver,  the  land  around.  It 
shone  upon  the  Spanish  sailor  and  upon  the  Carib  chief 
and  all  the  naked  Manguana  men.  I  thought  of  Europe, 
and  of  how  all  this  or  its  like  had  been  going  on  hundred 
years  by  hundred  years,  while  perished  Rome  and  quickened 
our  kingdoms,  while  Charlemagne  governed,  while  the  Church 
rose  until  she  towered  and  covered  like  the  sky,  while  we 
went  crusades  and  pilgrimages,  while  Venice  and  Genoa 
and  Lisbon  rose  and  flourished,  while  letters  went  on  and 
we  studied  Aristotle,  while  question  arose,  and  wider  knowl 
edge.  At  last  Juan  Lepe,  too,  went  to  sleep. 

Next  day  we  traveled  among  and  over  mountains.  Our 
path,  so  narrow,  climbed  by  rock  and  tree.  Now  it  over 
hung  deep,  tree-crammed  vales,  now  it  bore  through  just- 
parted  cliffs.  Beltran  and  Juan  Lepe  had  need  for  all  their 
strength  of  body. 

The  worst  was  that  that  old  tremor  and  weakness  of  one 
leg  and  side,  left  after  some  sea  fight,  which  had  made  Beltran 
the  cook  from  Beltran  the  mariner,  came  back.  I  saw  his 
step  begin  to  halt  and  drag.  This  increased.  An  hour  later, 
the  path  going  over  tree  roots  knotted  like  serpents,  he 
stumbled  and  fell.  He  picked  himself  up.  "  Hard  to  keep 
deck  in  this  gale !  " 

When  he  went  down  there  had  been  an  exclamation  from 
those  Indians  nearest  us.  "  Aiya !  "  It  was  their  word  for 
rotten,  no  good,  spoiled,  disappointing,  crippled  or  diseased, 
for  a  misformed  child  or  an  old  man  or  woman  arrived 
at  helplessness.  Such,  I  had  learned  from  Guarin,  they 
almost  invariably  killed.  It  was  why,  from  the  first,  we 
hardly  saw  dwarfed  or  humped  or  crippled  among  them, 

[177] 


We  had  to  cross  a  torrent  upon  a  tree  that  falling  had 
made  from  side  to  side  a  rounded  bridge.  Again  that  old 
hurt  betrayed  him.  He  slipped,  would  have  fallen  into  the 
torrent  below,  but  that  I,  turning,  caught  him  and  the  Indian 
behind  us  helped.  We  managed  across.  "  My  ship,"  said 
Beltran,  "  is  going  to  pieces  on  the  rocks." 

The  path  became  ladder  steep.  Now  Beltran  delayed  all, 
for  it  was  a  lame  man  climbing.  I  helped  him  all  I  could. 

The  sun  was  near  its  setting.  We  were  aloft  in  these 
mountains.  Green  heads  still  rose  over  us,  but  we  were 
aloft,  far  above  the  sea.  And  now  we  were  going  through  a 
ravine  or  pass  where  the  walking  was  better.  Here,  too,  a 
wind  reached  us  and  it  was  cooler.  Cool  eve  of  the  heights 
drew  on.  We  came  to  a  bubbling  well  of  coldest  water  and 
drank  to  our  great  refreshment.  Veritable  pine  trees,  which 
we  never  saw  in  the  lowlands,  towered  above  and  sang.  The 
path  was  easier,  but  hardly,  hardly,  could  Beltran  drag  him 
self  along  it.  His  arm  was  over  my  shoulder. 

Out  of  the  dark  pass  we  came  upon  a  table  almost  bare 
of  trees  and  covered  with  a  fine  soft  grass.  The  mountains 
of  Cibao,  five  leagues  —  maybe  more  —  away,  hung  in  em 
erald  purple  and  gold  under  the  sinking  sun.  The  highest 
rocky  peaks  rose  pale  gold.  Below  us  and  between  those 
mountains  on  which  we  stood  and  the  golden  mountains 
of  Cibao,  spread  that  plain,  so  beautiful,  so  wide  and  long, 
so  fertile  and  smiling  and  vast,  that  afterwards  was 
called  the  Royal  Plain!  East  and  west  one  might  not  see 
the  end;  south  only  the  golden  mountains  stopped  it.  And 
rivers  shone,  one  great  river  and  many  lesser  streams.  And 
we  saw  afar  many  plumes  of  smoke  from  many  villages, 
and  we  made  out  maize  fields,  for  the  plain  was  populous. 
Vega  Redl!  So  lovely  was  it  in  that  bright  eve !  The  very 
pain  of  the  day  made  it  lovelier. 

The  high  grassy  space  ran  upon  one  side  to  sheer  preci 
pice,  dropping  clear  two  hundred  feet.  But  there  was  camp 
ing  ground  enough  — and  the  sun  almost  touched  the  far, 
violet  earth. 

[178] 


The  Indians  threw  themselves  down.  When  they  had 
supper  they  would  eat  it,  when  they  had  it  not  they  would 
wait  for  breakfast.  But  Caonabo  with  twenty  young  men 
came  to  us.  He  said  something,  and  my  arms  were  caught 
from  behind  and  held.  He  faced  Beltran  seated  against  a 
pine.  "  Aiya! "  he  said.  His  voice  was  deep  and  harsh,  and 
he  made  a  gesture  of  repugnance.  There  was  a  powerfully 
made  Indian  beside  him,  and  I  saw  the  last  gleam  of  the 
sun  strike  the  long,  sharp,  stone  knife.  "  Kill ! "  said  the 
cacique. 

A  dozen  flung  themselves  upon  Beltran,  but  there  was  no 
need,  for  he  sat  quite  still  with  a  steady  face.  He  had  time 
to  cry  to  Juan  Lepe,  who  cried  to  him,  "  That's  what  I  say ! 
Good  cheer  and  courage  and  meet  again !  " 

He  had  no  long  suffering.  The  knife  was  driven  quickly 
to  his  heart.  They  drew  the  shell  to  the  edge  of  the  precipice 
and  dropped  it  over. 

It  was  early  night,  it  was  middle  night,  it  was  late  night. 
They  had  set  no  watch,  for  where  and  what  was  the  danger 
here  on  this  mountain  top? 

One  side  went  down  in  a  precipice,  one  sloping  less  steeply 
we  had  climbed  from  the  pine  trees  and  the  well,  one  of  a 
like  descent  we  would  take  to-morrow  down  to  the  plain, 
but  the  fourth  was  mountain  head  hanging  above  us  and 
thick  wood,  —  dark,  entangled,  pathless.  And  it  chanced 
or  it  was  that  Juan  Lepe  lay  upon  the  side  toward  the  peak, 
close  to  forest.  The  Indians  had  no  thought  to  guard  me. 
We  lay  down  under  the  moon,  and  that  bronze  host  slept, 
naked  beautiful  statues,  in  every  attitude  of  rest. 

The  moon  shone  until  there  was  silver  day.  Juan  Lepe 
was  not  sleeping. 

There  was  no  wind,  but  he  watched  a  branch  move.  It 
looked  like  a  man's  arm,  then  it  moved  farther  and  was  a 
full  man,  —  an  Indian,  noiseless,  out  clear  in  the  moon, 
from  the  wood.  I  knew  him.  It  was  the  priest  Guarin, 
priest  and  physician,  for  they  are  the  same  here.  Palm 
against  earth,  I  half  rose.  He  nodded,  made  a  sign  to  rise 

[179] 


wholly  and  come.  I  did  so.  I  stood  and  saw  under  the 
moon  no  waking  face  nor  upspringing  form.  I  stepped 
across  an  Indian,  another,  a  third.  Then  was  clear  space, 
the  wood,  Guarin.  There  was  no  sound  save  only  the  con 
stant  sound  of  this  forest  by  night  when  a  million  million 
insects  waken. 

He  took  my  hand  and  drew  me  into  the  brake  and  wilder 
ness.  There  was  no  path.  I  followed  him  over  I  know 
not  what  of  twined  root  and  thick  ancient  soil,  a  powder 
and  flake  that  gave  under  foot,  to  a  hidden,  rocky  shelf 
that  broke  and  came  again  and  broke  and  came  again.  Now 
we  were  a  hundred  feet  above  that  camp  and  going  over 
mountain  brow,  going  to  the  north  again.  Gone  were  Cao- 
nabo  and  his  Indians;  gone  the  view  of  the  plain  and  the 
mountains  of  Cibao.  Again  we  met  low  cliff,  long  stony 
ledges  sunk  in  the  forest,  invisible  from  below.  I  began 
to  see  that  they  would  not  know  how  to  follow.  Caonabo 
might  know  well  the  mountains  of  Cibao,  but  this  sierra 
that  was  straight  behind  Guarico,  Guarico  knew.  It  is  a 
blessed  habit  of  their  priests  to  go  wandering  in  the  forest, 
making  their  medicine,  learning  the  country,  discovering, 
using  certain  haunts  for  meditation.  Sometimes  they  are 
gone  from  their  villages  for  days  and  weeks.  None  indeed 
of  these  wild  peoples  fear  reasonable  solitude.  Out  of  all 
which  comes  the  fact  that  Guarin  knew  this  mountain.  We 
were  not  far,  as  flies  the  bird,  from  the  burned  town  of 
Guarico,  from  the  sea  without  sail,  from  the  ruined  La 
Navidad.  When  the  dawn  broke  we  saw  ocean. 

He  took  me  straight  to  a  cavern,  such  another  as  that  in 
which  Jerez  and  Luis  Torres  and  I  had  harbored  in  Cuba. 
But  this  had  fine  sand  for  floor,  and  a  row  of  calabashes, 
and  wood  laid  for  fire. 

Here  Juan  Lepe  dropped,  for  all  his  head  was  swimming 
with  weariness. 

The  sun  was  up,  the  place  glistered.  Guarin  showed  how 
it  was  hidden.  "  I  found  it  when  I  was  a  boy,  and  none  but 
Guarin  hath  ever  come  here  until  you  come,  Juan  Lepe ! " 

[180] 


He  had  no  fear,  it  was  evident,  of  Caonabo's  coming.  '  They 
will  think  your  idol  helped  you  away.  If  they  look  for  you, 
it  will  be  in  the  cloud.  They  will  say,  '  See  that  dark  mark 
moving  round  edge  of  cloud  mountain !  That  is  he ! ' ; 

I  asked  him,  "  Where  are  Guacanagari  and  the  rest?  " 

"  Guacanagari  had  an  arrow  through  his  thigh  and  a 
deep  cut  upon  the  head.  He  was  bleeding  and  in  a  swoon. 
His  brother  and  the  Guarico  men  and  I  with  them  took 
him,  and  the  women  took  the  children,  and  we  went 
away,  save  a  few  that  were  killed,  upon  the  path  that  we 
used  when  in  my  father's  time,  the  Caribs  came  in  canoes. 
After  a  while  we  will  go  down  to  Guacanagari.  But  now 
rest!" 

He  looked  at  me,  and  then  from  a  little  trickling  spring 
he  took  water  in  a  calabash  no  larger  than  an  orange  and 
from  another  vessel  a  white  dust  which  he  stirred  into  it, 
and  made  me  drink.  I  did  not  know  what  it  was,  but  I 
went  to  sleep. 

But  that  sleep  did  not  refresh.  It  was  rilled  with  heavy 
and  dreadful  dreams,  and  I  woke  with  an  aching  head  and 
a  burning  skin.  Juan  Lepe  who  had  nursed  the  sick  down 
there  in  La  Navidad  knew  feebly  what  it  was.  He  saw  in 
a  mist  the  naked  priest,  his  friend  and  rescuer,  seated  upon 
the  sandy  floor  regarding  him  with  a  wrinkled  brow  and 
compressed  lips,  and  then  he  sank  into  fever  visions  un 
couth  and  dreadful,  or  mirage-pleasing  with  a  mirage- 
ecstasy. 

Juan  Lepe  did  not  die,  but  he  lay  ill  and  like  to  die  for 
two  months.  It  was  deep  in  October,  that  day  at  dawn 
when  I  came  quietly,  evenly,  to  myself  again,  and  lay  most 
weak,  but  with  seeing  eyes.  At  first  I  thought  I  was  alone 
in  the  cavern,  but  then  I  saw  Guarin  where  he  lay  asleep. 

That  day  I  strengthened,  and  the  next  day  and  the  next. 
But  I  had  lain  long  at  the  very  feet  of  death,  and  full 
strength  was  a  tortoise  in  returning.  So  good  to  Juan  Lepe 
was  Guarin! 

Now  he  was  with  me,  and  now  he  went  away  to  that 
[181] 


149Q 


village  where  was  Guacanagari.  He  had  done  this  from 
the  first  coming  here,  nursing  me,  then  going  down  through 
the  forest  to  see  that  all  was  well  with  his  wounded  cacique 
and  the  folk  whose  butio  he  was.  They  knew  his  ways  and 
did  not  try  to  keep  him  when  he  would  return  to  the  moun 
tain,  to  "  make  medicine."  So  none  knew  of  the  cavern  or 
that  there  was  one  Spaniard  .left  alive  in  all  Hayti. 

I  strengthened.    At  last  I  could  draw  myself  out  of  cave 
and  lie,  in  the  now  so  pleasant  weather,  upon  the  ledge 
before  it.     All  the  vast  heat  and  moisture  was  gone  by 
now  again  was  weather  of  last  year  when  we  found  San 
Salvador. 

I  could  see  ocean.  No  sail,  and  were  he  returning,  surely 
it  should  have  been  before  this !  He  might  never  return. 

When  Guarin  was  away  I  sat  or  lay  or  moved  about  a 
small  demesne  and  still  prospered.  There  were  clean  rock 
the  water,  the  marvelous  forest.  He  brought  cassava  cake 
fruit,  fish  from  the  sea.  He  brought  me  for  entertainment 
a  talking  parrot,  and  there  lived  in  a  seam  of  the  rock  a 
beautiful  lizard  with  whom  I  made  friends.  The  air  was 
balm,  balm!  A  steady  soft  wind  made  cataract  sound  in 
the  forest.  Sunrise,  noon,  sunset,  midnight,  were  great 
glories. 

It  was  November ;  it  was  mid-November  and  after. 

Now  I  was  strong  and  wandered  in  the  forest,  though 
never  far  from  that  cliff  and  cavern.  It  was  settled  be 
tween  us  that  in  five  days  I  should  go  down  with  Guarin 
to  Guacanagari.  He  proposed  that  I  should  be  taken  for 
mally  into  the  tribe.  They  had  a  ceremony  of  adoption 
and  after  that  Juan  Lepe  would  be  Guarico.  He  woulc 
live  with  and  teach  the  Guaricos,  becoming  butio  —  he  anc 
Guarin  butios  together.  I  pondered  it.  If  the  Admira 
came  not  again  it  was  the  one  thing  to  do. 

I  remember  the  very  odor  and  exquisite  touch  of  the 
morning.  Guarin  was  away.  I  had  to  myself  cave  anc 
ledge  and  little  waterfall  and  great  trees  that  now  I  was 
telling  one  from  another.  I  had  parrot  and  lizard  and  spoke 

[182] 


now  to  the  one  and  now  to  the  other.  I  remember  the 
butterflies  and  the  humming  birds. 

I  looked  out  to  sea  and  saw  a  sail! 

It  was  afar,  a  white  point.  I  leaned  against  the  rock  for 
I  was  suddenly  weak  who  the  moment  before  had  felt  strong. 
The  white  point  swelled.  It  would  be  a  goodly  large  ship. 
Over  blue  rim  slipped  another  flake.  A  little  off  I  saw  a 
third,  then  a  fourth.  Juan  Lepe  rubbed  his  eyes.  Before 
there  came  no  more  he  had  counted  seventeen  sail.  They 
grew;  they  were  so  beauteous.  Toward  the  harbor  sailed 
a  fleet.  Now  I  made  out  the  flagship. 

O  Life,  thou  wondrous  goddess  of  happenings! 

An  hour  I  sat  on  cliff  edge  and  watched.  They  were 
making  in,  the  lovely  white  swans.  When  they  were  fairly 
near,  when  in  little  time  the  foremost  would  bring  to,  down 
sail  and  drop  anchor,  Juan  Lepe,  gathering  his  belongings 
together,  bidding  the  lizard  farewell  and  taking  the  parrot 
with  him  on  shoulder,  left  cavern  and  cliff  and  took  Guarin's 
path  down  through  the  forest. 

Halfway  to  level  land  he  met  Guarin  coming  up;  the 
two  met  beneath  a  tree  huge  and  spreading,  curtained  with 
a  vine,  starred  with  flowers.  "  He  has  come !  "  cried  the 
Indian.  "  They  have  come !  "  In  his  voice  was  marveling, 
awe,  perturbation. 

The  sun  in  the  sky  shone,  and  in  the  bay  hung  that  wonder 
of  return,  the  many  ships  for  the  Nina.  Juan  Lepe  and 
Guarin  went  on  down  through  wood  to  a  narrow  silver 
beach,  out  upon  which  had  cast  itself  an  Indian  village. 

Guacanagari  was  not  here.  He  waited  within  his  house 
for  the  Admiral.  But  his  brother,  and  others  of  Guarico, 
saw  me  and  there  rose  a  clamor  and  excitement  that  for  the 
moment  took  them  from  the  ships.  Guarin  explained  and 
Juan  Lepe  explained,  but  still  this  miraculous  day  dyed  also 
for  them  my  presence  here.  I  had  been  slain,  and  had  come 
to  life  to  greet  the  Great  Cacique !  It  grew  to  a  legend.  I 
met  it  so,  long  afterwards  in  Hispaniola. 

[183] 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

ONE  by  one  were  incoming,  were  folding  wings,  were 
anchoring,  Spanish  ships.  Three  were  larger  each 
than  the  Santa  Maria  and  the  Pint  a  together;  the 
others  caravels  of  varying  size.  Seventeen  in  all,  a  fleet, 
crowded  with  men,  having  cannon  and  banners  and  music. 
Europe  was  coming  with  strength  into  Asia!  The  Indians 
on  the  beach  were  moved  as  by  an  unresting  wind.  They 
had  terror,  they  had  delight,  and  some  a  mere  stupidity  of 
staring.  The  greatest  ship,  the  first  to  anchor,  carried  the 
banner  of  Castile  and  Leon,  and  the  Admiral's  banner. 
Now  a  boat  put  off  from  her,  boats  also  from  the  two  ships 
next  in  grandeur. 

As  they  came  over  the  blue  wave  Juan  Lepe  stepped  down 
sand  to  water  edge.  Not  here,  but  somewhat  to  the  west, 
before  La  Navidad  would  one  look  for  this  anchoring.  He 
thought  rightly  that  the  Admiral  came  here  from  La  Navi 
dad,  where  he  found  only  ruin,  but  also  some  straying  In 
dian  who  could  give  news.  So  it  was,  for  presently  in  the 
foremost  boat  I  made  out  two  Guarico  men.  They  had  told 
of  Caonabo  and  of  Guacanagari's  fortunes,  and  of  every 
Spaniard  dead  of  that  illness  or  slain  by  Caonabo.  They 
would  put  Juan  Lepe  among  these  last,  but  here  was  Juan 
Lepe,  one  only  left  of  that  thirty-eight. 

The  boat  approached.  I  saw  the  bared  head,  higher  than 
any  other,  the  white  hair,  the  blue-gray  eyes,  the  strong 
nose  and  lips,  the  whole  majestic  air  of  the  man,  as  of  a 
great  one  chosen.  Master  Christopherus  —  Don  Cristoval 
—  el  Almirante!  One  of  the  rowers,  and  that  was  Sancho 

[184] 


with  whom  I  had  walked  on  the  Fishertown  road,  first  saw 
me  and  gave  a  startled  cry.  All  in  the  boat  turned  head. 
I  heard  the  Admiral's  voice,  "  Aye,  it  is !  It  is !  " 

Boat  touched  sand,  there  was  landing.  All  sprang  out. 
The  Admiral  took  me  in  his  arms.  "  You  alone  —  one 
only?" 

I  answered,  "  One  only.    The  most  died  in  their  duty." 

He  released  me.  "  Senors,  this  is  Senor  Juan  Lepe,  that 
good  physician  whom  we  left.  Now  tell  —  tell  all  —  be 
fore  we  go  among  this  folk !  " 

By  water  edge  I  told,  thirty  men  of  Spain  around  me. 
A  woeful  story,  I  made  it  short.  These  men  listened,  and 
when  it  was  done  fell  a  silence.  Christopherus  Columbus 
broke  it.  "  The  wave  sucks  under  and  throws  out  again, 
but  we  sail  the  sea,  have  sailed  it  and  will  sail  it !  —  Now 
were  these  Indians  false  or  fair  ?  " 

I  could  tell  how  fair  they  had  been  —  could  praise  Guarico 
and  Guacanagari  and  Guarin.  He  listened  with  great  satis 
faction.  "  I  would  lay  my  head  for  that  Indian ! " 

Talk  with  him  could  not  be  prolonged,  for  we  were  in 
a  scene  of  the  greatest  business  and  commotion.  When  I 
sought  for  Guarin  he  was  gone.  Nor  was  Guacanagari  yet 
at  hand.  I  looked  at  the  swarming  ships  and  ship  boats, 
and  the  coming  and  coming  upon  the  beach  of  more  and 
more  clothed  men,  and  at  the  tall  green  palms  and  the  feath 
ered  mountains.  This  host,  it  seemed  to  me,  was  not  so 
artlessly  amazed  as  had  been  we  of  the  Santa  Maria,  the 
Pint  a  and  the  Nina,  when  first  we  came  to  lands  so  strange 
to  Europe.  Presently  I  made  out  that  they  had  seen  others 
of  these  islands  and  shores.  Coming  from  Spain  they  had 
sailed  more  southerly  than  we  had  done  before  them.  They 
had  made  a  great  dip  and  had  come  north-by-west  to  Hispan- 

iola.  I  heard  names  of  islands  given  by  the  Admiral, 

Dominica,  Marigalante,  Guadaloupe,  Santa  Maria  la  An 
tigua,  San  Juan.  They  had  anchored  by  these,  set  foot 
upon  them,  even  fought  with  people  who  were  Caribs,  Cari- 
bals  or  Cannibals.  They  had  a  dozen  Caribs,  men  and 

[185] 


women,  prisoners  upon  the  Marigalante  that  was  the  Ad 
miral's  ship. 

This  group  about  Juan  Lepe,  survivor  of  La  Navidad, 
talked  like  seasoned  finders  and  takers.  For  the  most  part 
they  were  young  men  and  hidalgos,  fighters  against  the 
Moors,  released  by  the  final  conquest  of  those  paynims,  out 
now  for  further  wild  adventure  and  for  gold  with  which  to 
return,  wealthy  and  still  young,  to  Spanish  country,  Spanish 
cities,  Spanish  women!  They  had  the  virtue  and  the  vice 
of  their  sort,  courage,  miraculous  generosities  and  as  mirac 
ulous  weaknesses.  Gold,  valor,  comradeship  —  and  eyes  rest 
ing  appraisingly  upon  young  Guarico  women  there  upon  the 
silver  beach  with  Guarico  men. 

I  heard  one  cry  "  Master  Juan  Lepe ! "  and  turning  found 
Luis  Torres.  We  embraced,  we  were  so  glad  each  to  see 
the  other.  My  hidalgos  were  gone,  but  before  I  could 
question  Luis  or  he  me,  there  bore  down  upon  us,  coming 
together  like  birds,  half  a  dozen  friars.  "  We  bring  twelve 
—  number  of  the  Apostles !  "  said  Luis.  "  Monks  and 
priests.  Father  Bernardo  Buil  is  their  head.  The  Holy 
Father  hath  appointed  him  Vicar  here.  You  won't  find  him 
a  Fray  Ignatio !  " 

A  bull-necked,  dark-browed,  choleric  looking  man  ad 
dressed  me.  His  Benedictine  dress  became  him  ill.  He 
should  have  been  a  Captain  of  Free  Lances  in  whatever 
brisk  war  was  waging.  He  said,  "The  survivor,  Juan 
Lepe?  —  We  stopped  at  your  La  Navidad  and  found  ruin 
and  emptiness.  There  must  have  been  ill  management  — 
gross!" 

"  They  are  all  dead,"  I  answered.  "  None  of  us  manage 
the  towers  so  very  well !  " 

He  regarded  me  more  attentively.  "  The  physician,  Juan 
Lepe.  Where  did  you  study?" 

"  In  Poitiers  and  in  Paris,  Father/' 

"  You  have,"  he  said,  "  the  height  and  sinew  and  some 
thing  of  the  eye  and  voice  of  a  notable  disappeared  heretic, 
Jayme  de  Marchena,  who  slipped  the  Dominicans.  I  saw 

[186] 


149Q 


him  once  from  a  doorway.  But  that  the  Prior  of  La  Ra- 
bida  himself  told  me  that  he  had  accurate  knowledge  that 
the  man  was  gone  with  the  Jews  to  Fez,  I  could  almost  think 
—  But  of  course  it  is  not  possible,  and  now  I  see  the  differ 
ences." 

I  answered  him  with  some  indifferent  word,  and  we  came 
to  the  Haytiens,  and  how  many  had  Fray  Ignatio  made 
Christian?  "  I  knew  him,"  said  the  Benedictine.  "  A  good 
man,  but  weak,  weak !  " 

Juan  Lepe  asked  of  the  Indians  the  Admiral  had  taken 
to  Spain.  "  But  six  reached  us  alive.  We  instructed  them 
and  baptized  them.  A  great  event  —  the  Grand  Cardinal 
and  the  King  and  the  Queen  attending !  Three  died  during 
the  summer,  but  blessedly,  being  the  first  of  all  their  people 
in  all  time  to  enter  heaven.  A  great  salvation !  " 

He  looked  at  the  forest  and  mountains,  the  sands,  the 
Guaricos,  as  at  a  city  he  was  besieging. 

"  Ha !  "  said  Father  Buil,  and  with  his  missionaries  moved 
up  the  beach. 

Luis  and  I  began  to  talk.  "  No  need  to  tell  me  that  Spain 
gave  you  welcome !  " 

"The  royalest  ever!  First  we  came  to  Lisbon,  driven 
in  by  storm,  and  had  it  there  from  King  John,  and  then  to 
Palos  which,  so  to  speak,  went  mad!  Then  through  Spain 
to  Barcelona,  where  was  the  court,  and  all  the  bells  in  every 
town  ringing  and  every  door  and  window  crowded,  and  here 
is  the  Faery  Prince  on  a  white  charger,  his  Indians  behind 
him  and  gold  and  parrots  and  his  sailors !  Processions  and 
processions  —  alcalde  and  alcayde  and  don  and  friar  and 
priest,  and  let  us  stop  at  the  church  and  kneel  before  high 
altar,  and  vow  again  in  seven  years  to  free  the  Sepulchre! 
He  hath  walked  and  ridden,  waked  and  slept,  in  a  great,  high 
vision!  Most  men  have  visions  but  he  can  sustain  vision." 

"Aye,  he  can!" 

"  So  at  last  into  Barcelona,  where  grandees  meet  us,  and 
so  on  to  the  court,  and  music  as  though  the  world  had  turned 
music!  And  the  King  and  Queen  and  great  welcome,  a,nd, 

[187] 


'  Sit  beside  us,  Don  Cristoval  Colon ! '  and  '  Tell  and  tell 
again  ',  and  '  Praise  we  Most  High  God ! '  " 

"It  is  something  for  which  to  praise !  Ends  of  the  earth 
beginning  to  meet." 

"  Aye !  So  we  write  that  very  night  to  the  Pope  to  be 
confirmed  that  the  glory  and  profit  under  God  are  to  Castile 
and  Aragon.  But  the  Queen  thought  most  of  the  heathen 
brought  to  Christ.  And  the  Admiral  thinks  of  his  sons 
and  his  brothers  and  his  old  father,  and  of  the  Holy  Sep 
ulchre  and  of  the  Prophecies,  and  he  has  the  joy  of  the 
runner  who  touches  the  goal !  —  I  would  you  could  have 
seen  the  royalty  with  which  he  was  treated  —  not  one  day 
nor  week  but  a  whole  summer  long  —  the  flocking,  the  bow 
ing  and  capping,  the  '  Do  me  the  honor  — ',  the  '  I  have  a 
small  petition/  Nothing  conquers  like  conquering !  " 

"  He  had  long  patience." 

"  Aye.  Well,  he  is  at  height  now.  But  he  has  got  with 
him  the  old  disastrous  seeds. —  Fifteen  hundred  men,  and 
among  them  quite  a  plenty  like  Gutierrez  and  Escobedo! 
But  there  are  good  men,  too,  and  a  great  lot  of  romantical 
daredevils.  No  pressing  this  time !  We  might  have  brought 
five  thousand  could  the  ships  have  held  them.  '  Come  to  the 
Indies  and  make  your  fortune ! '  —  '  Aye,  that  is  my  desire ! ' : 

I  said,  "  I  am  looking  now  at  a  romantical  daredevil 
whom  I  have  seen  before,  though  I  am  sure  that  he  never 
noticed  me." 

;<  Don  Alonso  de  Ojeda?  He  is  feather  in  cap,  and  some 
times  cap,  and  even  at  stress  head  within  the  cap !  Without 
moving  you've  beckoned  him." 

There  approached  a  young  man  of  whom  I  knew  some 
thing,  having  had  him  pointed  out  by  Enrique  de  Cerda  in 
Santa  Fe.  I  had  before  that  heard  his  name  and  somewhat 
of  his  exploits.  In  our  day,  over  all  Spain,  one  might  find  or 
hear  of  cavaliers  of  this  brand.  War  with  the  Moor  had 
lasted  somewhat  longer  than  the  old  famed  war  with  Troy. 
It  had  modeled  youth ;  young  men  were  old  soldiers.  When 
there  came  up  a  sprite  like  this  one  he  drank  war  like  wine. 

[188] 


A  slight  young  man,  taut  as  a  rope  in  a  gale,  with  dark 
eyes  and  red  lips  and  a  swift,  decisive  step,  up  he  came. 

"Oh,  you  are  the  man  who  lived  out  of  all  your  fort? 
How  did  you  manage  it  ?  " 

"  I  had  a  friend  among  these  friendly  Indians  who  rescued 
me." 

"  Yes !  It  is  excellent  warfare  to  have  friends. —  You 
have  seen  no  knight  nor  men-at-arms,  nor  heard  of  such?" 

"  Not  under  those  names." 

"  How  far  do  you  think  we  may  be  from  true  houses 
and  cities,  castles,  fortresses  ?  " 

"  I  haven't  the  least  idea.    By  the  looks  of  it,  pretty  far." 

"  It  seems  to  me  that  you  speak  truth,"  he  answered. 
"Well,  it  isn't  what  we  looked  for,  but  it's  something!  — 
Room  yet  to  dare !  "  Off  he  went,  half  Mercury,  half  Mars, 
and  a  sprig  of  youth  to  draw  the  eyes. 

"  Was  there  nothing  ever  heard,"  I  asked  Luis,  "  of  the 
Pinta  and  Martin  Pinzon?  " 

"  He  is  dead." 

"  You  saw  the  wreck  ?  " 

"  No,  not  that  way,  though  true  it  is  that  he  wrecked 
himself !  I  forget  that  you  know  nothing.  We  met  the 
Pinta  last  January,  not  a  day  from  here,  with  Monte  Cristi 
there  yet  in  sight.  When  he  came  aboard  and  sat  in  the 
great  cabin  I  do  not  know  what  he  said,  except  that  it  was 
of  separation  by  that  storm,  and  the  feeling  that  two  parties 
discovering  would  thereby  discover  the  more,  and  the  better 
serve  their  Majesties.  The  Admiral  made  no  quarrel  with 
him.  He  had  some  gold  and  some  news  of  coasts  that  we 
had  not  seen.  And  he  did  not  seem  to  think  it  necessary 
to  seem  penitent  or  anything  but  just  naturally  Martin 
Pinzon.  So  on  we  sailed  together,  he  on  the  Pinta  and  the 
Admiral  on  the  Nina.  But  that  was  a  rough  voyage  home 
over  Ocean-Sea !  Had  we  had  such  weather  coming,  might 
have  been  mutiny  and  throat-cutting  and  putting  back, 
Cathay  and  India  being  of  no  aid  to  dead  men!  Six  times 
at  least  we  thought  we  were  drowned,  and  made  vows, 

[189] 


1492 


kneeling  all  together  and  the  Admiral  praying  for  us,  Fray 
Ignatio  not  being  there.  Then  came  clear,  but  beyond 
Canaries  a  three  days',  three  nights'  weather  that  truly  drove 
us  apart,  the  Pinto,  and  the  Nina.  We  lost  each  other  in  the 
darkness  and  never  found  again.  We  were  beaten  into  the 
Tagus,  the  Pinta  on  to  Bayonne.  Then,  mid-March,  we  came 
to  Palos,  landed  and  the  wonder  began.  And  in  three  days 
who  should  come  limping  in  but  the  Pinta?  But  she  missed 
the  triumph,  and  Martin  Pinzon  was  sick,  and  there  was 
some  coldness  shown.  He  went  ashore  to  his  own  house, 
and  his  illness  growing  worse  he  died  there.  Well,  he  had 
qualities." 

"  Aye,"  I  answered,  with  a  vision  of  the  big,  bluff,  golden- 
haired  man. 

"  Vicente  Pinzon  is  here ;  his  ship  the  Cordera  yonder.  — 
What's  the  stir  now  ?  The  Admiral  will  go  to  see  Guacana- 
gari?" 

That,  it  seemed,  was  what  it  was,  and  presently  came 
word  that  Juan  Lepe  should  go  with  him.  A  body  of  cava 
liers  sumptuously  clad,  some  even  wearing  shining  corselet, 
greaves  and  helm,  was  forming  about  him  who  was  himself 
in  a  magnificent  dress.  Besides  these  were  fifty  of  the 
plainer  sort,  and  there  lacked  not  crossbow,  lance  and  arque 
bus.  And  there  were  banners  and  music.  We  were  going 
like  an  army  to  be  brotherly  with  Guacanagari.  Father 
Buil  was  going  also,  and  his  twelve  gowned  men.  "  Who," 
I  asked  Luis,  "  is  the  man  beside  the  Admiral  ?  He  seems 
his  kin." 

"  He  is.  It  is  his  brother,  Don  Diego.  He  is  a  good 
man,  able,  too,  though  not  able  like  the  Admiral.  They 
say,  the  other  brother,  Bartholomew,  who  is  in  England  or 
in  France,  is  almost  as  able.  How  dizzily  turns  the  wheel 
for  some  of  us!  Yesterday  plain  Diego  and  Bartholomew, 
a  would-be  churchman  and  a  shipmaster  and  chart-maker ! 
Now  Don  Diego  —  Don  Bartholomew!  And  the  two  sons 
watching  us  off  from  Cadiz!  Pages  both  of  them  to  the 
Prince,  and  pictures  to  look  at !  *  Father ! '  and  '  Noble 

[190] 


father ! '  and  '  Forget  not  your  health,  who  are  our  Depend- 
ance!'" 

Waiting  for  all  to  start,  I  yet  regarded  that  huge  dazzle 
upon  the  beach,  so  many  landed,  so  many  coming  from 
the  ships,  the  ships  themselves  so  great  a  drift  of  sea  birds! 
As  for  those  dark  folk  —  what  should  they  think  of  all 
these  breakers-in  from  heaven?  It  seemed  to  me  to-day 
that  despite  their  friendliness  shown  us  here  from  the  first, 
despite  the  miracle  and  the  fed  eye  and  ear  and  the  excite 
ment,  they  knew  afar  a  pale  Consternation. 

At  last,  to  drum  and  trumpet,  we  passed  from  shining 
beach  into  green  forest.  I  found  myself  for  a  moment  be 
side  Diego  Colon  —  not  the  Admiral's  brother,  but  the  young 
Indian  so  named.  Now  he  was  Christian  and  clothed,  and 
truly  the  Haitiens  stared  at  him  hardly  less  than  at  the 
Admiral.  I  greeted  him  and  he  me.  He  tried  to  speak  in 
Castilian  but  it  was  very  hard  for  him,  and  in  a  moment  we 
slipped  into  Indian. 

I  asked  him,  "  How  did  you  like  Spain  ?  " 

He  looked  at  me  with  a  remote  and  childlike  eye  and  be 
gan  to  speak  of  houses  and  roads  and  horses  and  oxen. 

A  message  came  from  the  Admiral  at  head  of  column.  I 
went  to  him.  Men  looked  at  me  as  I  passed  them.  I  was 
ragged  now,  grizzle-bearded  and  wan,  and  they  seemed  to 
say,  "  Is  it  so  this  strange  land  does  them  ?  But  those  first 
ones  were  few  and  we  are  many,  and  it  does  not  lie  in  our 
fortune!  Gold  lies  in  ours,  and  return  in  splendor  and 
happiness."  But  some  had  more  thoughtful  eyes  and  truer 
sense  of  wonder. 

We  found  Guacanagari  in  a  new,  large,  very  clean  house, 
and  found  him  lying  in  a  great  hammock  with  his  leg  bound 
with  cotton  web,  around  him  wives  and  chief  men.  He  sat 
up  to  greet  the  Admiral  and  with  a  noble  and  affecting  air 
poured  forth  speech  and  laid  his  hand  upon  his  hidden  hurt. 

Now  I  knew,  because  Guarin  had  told  me  so,  that  that 
wound  was  healed.  It  had  given  trouble  —  the  Caribs  poi 
soned  their  darts  —  but  now  it  was  well.  But  they  are 

[  191  ] 


simpler  minded  than  we,  this  folk,  and  I  read  Guacanagari 
that  he  must  impress  the  returning  gods  with  his  fidelity. 
He  had  proved  it,  and  while  Juan  Lepe  was  by  he  did  not 
need  this  mummery,  but  he  had  thought  that  he  might  need. 
So,  a  big  man  evidently  healthful,  he  sighed  and  winced  and 
half  closed  his  eyes  as  though  half  dying  still  in  that  old 
contest  when  he  had  stood  by  the  people  from  the  sky.  I 
interpreted  his  speech,  the  Admiral  already  understanding, 
but  not  the  surrounding  cavaliers.  It  was  a  high  speech  or 
high  assurance  that  he  had  done  his  highest  best. 

"  Do  I  not  believe  that,  Guacanagari  ?  "  said  the  Admiral, 
and  thinking  of  Diego  de  Arana  and  Fray  Ignatio  and  others 
and  of  the  good  hope  of  La  Navidad,  tears  came  into  his 
eyes. 

He  sat  upon  the  most  honorable  block  of  wood  which  was 
brought  him  and  talked  to  Guacanagari.  Then  at  his  gesture 
one  brought  his  presents,  a  mirror,  a  rich  belt,  a  knife,  a  pair 
of  castanets.  Guacanagari,  it  seemed,  since  the  sighting  of 
the  ships,  had  made  collection  on  his  part.  He  gave  enough 
gold  to  make  lustful  many  an  eye  looking  upon  that  scene. 

The  women  brought  /food  and  set  before  the  Spaniards 
in  the  house.  I  found  Guarin  and  presently  we  came  to 
be  standing  without  the  entrance  —  they  had  no  doors ;  some 
times  they  had  curtains  of  cotton  —  looking  upon  that 
strange  gathering  in  the  little  middle  square  of  the  town. 
So  many  Spaniards  in  the  palm  shadows,  and  the  women 
feeding  them,  and  Alonso  de  Ojeda's  hand  upon  the  arm  of 
a  slender  brown  girl  with  a  wreath  of  flowers  around  her 
head.  Father  Buil  was  within  with  the  Admiral,  truculently 
and  suspiciously  regarding  the  idolater  who  now  had  left 
the  hammock  and  seemed  as  well  of  a  wound  as  any  there ! 
But  here  without  were  eight  or  ten  friars,  gathered  to 
gether  under  a  palm  tree,  making  refection  and  talking 
among  themselves.  One  devout  brother,  sitting  apart  and 
fasting,  told  his  beads. 

Said  Guarin,  "  I  have  been  watching  him.  He  is  talking 
to  his  zeme. —  They  are  all  butios  ?  " 

[192] 


"  Yes.    Most  of  them  are  good  men." 

"  What  is  going  to  happen  here  to  all  my  people  ?  Some 
thing  is  over  against  me  and  my  people,  I  feel  it!  Even 
the  cacique  has  fear." 

"  It  is  the  dark  Ignorance  and  the  light  Ignorance,  the 
clothed  Ignorance  and  the  naked  Ignorance.  I  feel  it  too, 
what  you  feel.  But  I  feel,  O  Guarin,  that  the  inner  and 
true  Man  will  not  and  cannot  take  hurt ! " 

He  said,  "  Do  they  come  for  good?  " 

I  answered,  "  There  is  much  good  in  their  coming.  Seen 
from  the  mountain  brow,  enormous  good,  I  think.  In  the 
long  run  I  am  fain  to  think  that  all  have  their  market  here, 
you  no  less  than  I,  Guacanagari  no  less  than  the  Admiral." 

"  I  do  not  know  that,"  he  said.  "  It  seems  to  me  the 
sunny  day  is  dark." 

I  said,  "  In  the  main  all  things  work  together,  and  in  the 
end  is  honey." 

Out  they  came  from  palm-roofed  house,  the  Admiral  of 
the  Ocean-Sea  and  Viceroy  of  what  Indies  he  could  find 
for  Spain  and  Spain  could  take,  and  the  Indian  king  or 
grandee  or  princeling.  Perceiving  that  what  he  did  was 
appreciated  for  what  it  was,  Guacanagari  had  recovered  his 
lameness.  The  cotton  was  no  longer  about  his  thigh;  he 
moved  straight  and  lightly,  —  a  big,  easy  Indian. 

It  was  now  well  on  in  the  afternoon,  but  he  would  go  with 
the  Mighty  Stranger,  the  Great  Cacique  his  friend,  to  see 
the  ships  and  all  the  wonders.  His  was  a  childlike  craving 
for  pure  novelty  and  marvel. 

So  we  went,  all  of  us,  back  through  vast  woodland  to 
cerulean  water.  Water  was  deep,  the  Marigalante  rode  close 
in,  and  about  and  beyond  her  the  Santa  Clara,  the  Cordera, 
the  San  Juan,  the  Juana,  another  Nina,  the  Beatrix  and 
many  another  fair  name.  They  were  beautiful,  the  ships 
on  the  gay  water  and  about  them  the  boats  and  the  red 
men's  canoes. 

We  went  to  the  Marigalante,  I  with  the  Admiral.  Danc 
ing  across  in  the  boat  there  spoke  to  me  Don  Diego  Colon, 

[193] 


149Q 


born  Giacomo  Colombo,  and  I  found  him  a  sober,  able  man, 
with  a  churchly  inclination.  Here  rose  the  Marigalante, 
and  now  we  were  upon  it,  and  it  was  a  greater  ship  than  the 
Santa  Maria,  a  goodly  ship,  with  goodly  gear  aboard  and 
goodly  Spaniards.  Jayme  de  Marchena  felt  the  tug  of 
blood,  of  home-coming  into  his  country. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 

FINDING  young  Sancho  upon  the  Marigalante,  I  kept 
him  beside  me  for  information's  sake.  He,  too,  had 
his  stories.  And  he  asked  me  how  Pedro  and  Fer 
nando  died. 

In  this  ship  were  two  sets  of  captives,  animals  brought 
from  Spain  and  Indians  from  those  fiercer  islands  to  the 
south.  The  Monsalvat  that  was  a  freight  ship  had  many 
animals,  said  Sancho,  cattle  and  swine  and  sheep  and  goats 
and  cocks  and  hens,  and  thirty  horses.  But  upon  the  Mari 
galante,  well-penned,  the  Admiral  had  a  stallion  and  two 
mares,  a  young  bull  and  a  couple  of  heifers,  and  two  dogs 
— bloodhounds.  The  Caribs  were  yonder,  five  men  in  all. 

He  took  me  to  see  them.  They  were  tall,  strong,  sullen 
and  desperate  in  aspect,  hardier,  fiercer  than  Indians  of 
these  northward  lands.  But  they  were  Indians,  and  their 
guttural  speech  could  be  made  out,  at  least  in  substance. 
They  asked  with  a  high,  contemptuous  look  when  we  meant 
to  slay  and  eat  them. 

"  They  eat  men's  flesh,  every  Caribal  of  them !  We  saw 
horrid  things  in  Guadaloupe !  " 

Away  from  these  men  sat  or  stood  seven  women.  "  They 
were  captives,"  said  Sancho.  "  Caribs  had  ravished  them 
from  other  islands  and  they  fled  in  Guadaloupe  to  us." 

These  women,  too,  seemed  more  strongly  fibred,  courage 
ous,  high  of  head  than  the  Hayti  women.  There  was  among 
them  one  to  whom  the  others  gave  deference,  a  chieftainess, 
strong  and  warlike  in  mien,  not  smoothly  young  nor  after 
their  notions  beautiful,  but  with  an  air  of  sagacity  and  pride. 

[195] 


149Q 


A  ship  boy  stood  with  us.     "  That  is  Catalina,"  he  said. 
"Ho,  Catalina!" 

The  woman  looked  at  him  with  disdain  and  what  she 
said  was,  "  Young  fool  with  fool-gods !  " 

"  They  came  to  us  for  refuge/*  said  Sancho.  "  We  think 
they  are  Amazons.  There  was  an  island  where  they  fought 
us  like  men  —  great  bow- women!  Don  Alonso  de  Ojeda 
first  called  this  one  Catalina,  so  now  we  all  call  her  Catalina. 
At  first  they  liked  us,  but  now  that  they  are  safe  away  from 
Caribs  —  all  but  these  five  and  they  can't  hurt  them  — 
they  sit  and  pine !  I  call  it  ungrateful,  Catalina !  " 

We  moved  away.  There  came  from  the  great  cabin  where 
they  had  wine  and  fine  sweet  cakes  the  Admiral  and  Guaca- 
nagari,  with  them  Don  Diego  and  three  or  four  cavaliers. 
Guarin  was  not  with  the  cacique,  upon  the  Marigalante. 
He  would  not  come.  I  had  a  vision  of  him,  in  the  forest, 
seated  motionless,  communing  with  the  deepest  self  to 
which  he  could  reach,  seeking  light  with  the  other  light- 
seekers. 

Christopherus  Columbus  beckoned  me  and  I  went  the 
round  of  the  ship  with  him  and  others  and  his  guest,  this 
far-away  son  of  Great  India.  So,  presently,  he  was  taken  to 
view  the  horses  and  the  cattle.  Whoever  hath  seen  lions 
brought  to  a  court  for  show  hath  seen  some  shrinking  from 
too-close  and  heard  timorous  asking  if  the  bars  be  really 
strong.  And  the  old,  wild  beasts  at  Rome  for  the  games. 
If  one  came  by  chance  upon  them  in  a  narrow  quarter 
there  might  be  terror.  And  the  bull  that  we  goad  to  mad 
ness  for  a  game  in  Spain  —  were  barriers  down  would  come 
a-scrambling !  This  cacique  had  never  seen  an  animal  larger 
than  a  fox  or  a  dog.  Yet  he  stood  with  steadiness,  though 
his  glance  shot  here  and  there.  The  stallion  was  restless 
and  fiery-eyed ;  the  bull  sent  forth  a  bellow.  "  Why  do  they 
come?  What  will  they  do  here?  Will  you  put  them  in  the 
forest  ?  The  people  will  be  afraid  to  wander !  " 

He  looked  away  to  sky  and  sea  and  shore.  "  It  grows 
toward  night,"  he  said.  "  I  will  go  back  to  my  town." 

[196] 


The  Admiral  said,  "  I  would  first  show  you  the  Caribs," 
and  took  him  there  where  they  were  bound.  The  Haytien 
regarded  them,  but  the  Caribs  were  as  contemptuously  silent 
as  might  have  been  Alonso  de  Ojeda  in  like  circumstances. 
Only  as  Guacanagari  turned  away,  one  spoke  in  a  fierce, 
monotonous  voice.  "  You  also,  Haytien,  one  moon !  " 

"  You  lie !     Only  Caribs !  "  Guacanagari  said  back. 

The  cacique  stood  before  the  woman  whom  they  called 
Catalina.  She  broke  into  speech.  It  was  cacique  to 
cacique.  She  was  from  Boriquen  —  she  would  return  in  a 
canoe  if  she  were  free!  Better  drown  than  live  with  the 
utterly  un-understandable  —  only  that  they  ate  and  drank 
and  laid  hold  of  women  whether  these  would  or  would  not, 
and  were  understandable  that  far!  Gods!  At  first  she 
thought  them  gods ;  now  she  doubted.  They  were  magicians. 
If  she  were  free  —  if  she  were  free  —  if  she  were  free! 
Home  —  Boriquen!  If  not  that,  at  least  her  own  color  and 
the  understandable ! " 

Guacanagari  stood  and  listened.  She  spoke  so  fast  —  the 
Admiral  never  became  quite  perfect  in  Indian  tongues,  and 
few  upon  the  Marigalante  were  so  at  this  time.  Juan  Lepe 
understood.  But  just  as  he  was  thinking  that  in  duty  bound 
he  must  say  to  the  Admiral,  "  She  is  undermining  reputa 
tion.  Best  move  away !  "  Guacanagari  made  a  violent  ges 
ture  as  though  he  would  break  a  spell.  "  Where  could  they 
come  from  with  all  that  they  have  except  from  heaven? 
Who  can  plan  against  gods?  It  is  sin  to  think  of  it!  El 
Almirante  will  make  you  happy,  Boriquen  woman ! " 

We  left  the  women.  But  Guacanagari  himself  was  not 
happy,  as  he  had  been  that  Christmas-tide  when  first  the 
gods  came,  when  the  Santa  Maria  was  wrecked  and  he  gave 
us  hospitality. 

The  Admiral  did  not  see  that  he  was  unhappy.  The  Ad 
miral  saw  always  a  vast  main  good,  and  he  thought  it  pearl 
and  gold  in  every  fiber.  As  yet,  he  saw  no  rotted  string, 
no  snarl  to  be  untangled.  It  was  his  weakness,  and  maybe, 
too,  his  strength. 

[197] 


The  sunset  hung  over  this  roadstead  and  the  shore.  The 
mountains  glowed  in  it,  the  nearer  wood  fell  dark,  the  beach 
showed  milky  white,  a  knot  of  palms  upon  a  horn  of  land 
caught  full  gold  and  shone  as  though  they  were  in  heaven. 
Over  upon  the  Cordera  they  were  singing.  The  long  cacique- 
canoe  shot  out  from  the  shadow  of  the  Marigalante. 

Sun  dipped,  night  cupped  hands  over  the  world.  The  long 
day  of  excitement  was  over.  Mariners  slept,  adventurers 
gentle  and  simple,  the  twelve  friars  and  Father  Buil.  Sev 
enteen  ships,  nigh  fifteen  hundred  men  of  Europe,  swinging 
with  the  tide  before  the  land  we  were  to  make  Spanish. 

The  watch  raised  a  cry.  Springing  from  his  bed  Juan  Lepe 
came  on  deck  to  find  there  confusion,  and  under  the  moon 
in  the  clear  water,  swimming  forms,  swimming  from  us 
in  a  kind  of  desperate  haste  and  strength.  There  was  shout 
ing  to  man  the  boat.  One  jostling  against  me  cried  that 
they  were  the  captive  Indians.  They  had  broken  bonds, 
lifted  hatch,  knocked  down  the  watch,  leaped  over  side. 
Another  shouted.  No,  the  Caribs  were  safe.  These  were 
the  women  — 

The  women  —  seven  forms  might  be  made  out  —  were 
not  far  from  land.  I  felt  tingling  across  to  me  their  hope 
and  fear.  Out  of  ship  shadow  shot  after  them  our  boat. 
Strongly  rowed,  it  seemed  to  gain,  but  they  made  speed 
strongly,  strongly.  The  boat  got  into  trouble  with  the 
shallows.  The  swimmers  now  stood  and  ran,  now  were 
racers;  in  a  moment  they  would  touch  the  dry,  the  shining 
beach.  Out  of  boat  sprang  men  running  after  them,  run 
ning  across  low  white  lines  of  foam.  The  women,  that 
strong  woman  cacique  ahead,  left  water,  raced  across  sand 
toward  forest.  Two  men  were  gaining,  they  caught  at  the 
least  swift  woman.  The  dark,  naked  form  broke  from 
them,  leaped  like  a  hurt  deer  and  running  at  speed  passed 
with  all  into  the  ebony  band  that  was  forest. 

Alonso  de  Ojeda  burst  into  a  great  laugh.  "  Well  done, 
Catalina ! " 

The  Admiral's  place  could  ever  be  told  by  his  head  over 
[198] 


all.  Moreover  his  warm,  lifted,  powerfully  pulsing  nature 
was  capable  of  making  around  him  a  sphere  that  tingled 
and  drew.  One  not  so  much  saw  him  as  felt  him,  here, 
there.  Now  I  stood  beside  him  where  he  leaned  over  rail. 
"Gone,"  he  said.  "They  are  gone!"  He  drew  a  deep 
breath.  I  can  swear  that  he,  too,  felt  an  inner  joy  that  they 
had  escaped  clutching. 

But  in  the  morning  he  sent  ashore  a  large  party  under 
his  brother,  Don  Diego.  We  received  another  surprise.  No 
Indians  on  the  beach,  none  in  the  forest,  and  when  they 
came  to  the  village,  only  houses,  a  few  parrots  and  the 
gardens,  dewy  fresh  under  the  sun's  first  streaming.  No 
Indians  there,  nor  man  nor  woman  nor  child,  not  Guacana- 
gari,  not  Guarin,  not  Catalina  and  her  crew  —  none !  They 
were  gone,  and  we  knew  not  where,  Quisquaya  being  a  huge 
country,  and  the  paths  yet  hidden  from  us  or  of  doubtful 
treading.  But  the  heaped  mountains  rose  before  us,  and 
Juan  Lepe  at  least  could  feel  assured  that  they  were  gone 
there.  They  vanished  and  for  long  we  heard  nothing  of 
them,  not  of  Guacanagari,  nor  of  Guarin  who  had  saved 
Juan  Lepe,  not  of  Catalina,  nor  any. 

This  neighborhood,  La  Navidad  and  the  shipwreck  of  the 
Santa  Maria,  burned  Guarico  and  now  this  empty  village, 
perpetual  reminder  that  in  some  part  our  Indian  subjects 
liked  us  not  so  well  as  formerly  and  could  not  be  made 
Christian  with  a  breath,  grew  no  longer  to  our  choice. 
Something  of  melancholy  overhung  for  the  Admiral  this  part 
of  Hispaniola.  He  was  seeking  a  site  for  a  city,  but  now 
he  liked  it  not  here.  The  seventeen  ships  put  on  sail  and, 
a  stately  flight  of  birds  greater  than  herons,  pursued  their 
way,  easterly  now,  along  the  coast  of  Hispaniola. 

Between  thirty  and  forty  leagues  from  the  ruin  of  La 
Navidad  opened  to  us  a  fair,  large  harbor  where  two  rivers 
entered  the  sea.  There  was  a  great  forest  and  bright  pro 
truding  rock,  and  across  the  south  the  mountains.  When 
we  landed  and  explored  we  found  a  small  Indian  village  that 
had  only  vaguely  heard  that  gods  had  descended.  Forty 

[199] 


leagues  across  these  forests  is  a  long  way.  They  had  heard 
a  rumor  that  the  cacique  of  Guarico  liked  the  mighty 
strangers  and  Caonabo  liked  them  not,  but  as  yet  knew 
little  more.  The  harbor,  the  land,  the  two  rivers  pleased  us. 
"Here  we  will  build,"  quoth  the  Viceroy,  "a  city  named 
Isabella." 


[200] 


CHAPTER  XXIX 

CHRISTMASTIDE,  a  year  from  the  sinking  of  the 
Santa  Maria,  came  to  nigh  two  thousand  Christian  men 
dwelling  in  some  manner  of  houses  by  a  river  in  a 
land  that,  so  short  time  before,  had  never  heard  the  word 
"  Christmas."  Now,  in  Spain  and  elsewhere,  men  and 
women,  hearing  Christmas  bells,  migut  wonder,  "  What 
are  they  doing  —  are  they  also  going  to  mass  —  those  ad 
venturers  across  the  Sea  of  Darkness?  Have  they  con 
verted  the  Indies?  Are  they  moving  happily  in  the  golden, 
spicy  lands?  Great  marvel!  Christ  now  is  born  there  as 
here!" 

Juan  Lepe  chanced  to  be  walking  in  the  cool  of  the  even 
ing  with  Don  Francisco  de  Las  Casas,  a  sensible,  strong  man, 
not  unread  in  the  philosophers.  He  spoke  to  me  of  his  son, 
a  young  man  whom  he  loved,  who  would  sooner  or  later 
come  out  to  him  to  Hispaniola,  if  he,  the  elder,  stayed  here. 
So  soon  as  this  we  had  begun  to  speak  thus,  "  Come  out  to 
Hispaniola."  "  Come  out  to  Isabella  in  Hispaniola."  What 
a  strong  wind  is  life,  leaping  from  continent  to  continent  and 
crying,  "  Home  wherever  I  can  breathe  and  move !  "  This 
young  man  was  Bartolome,  then  at  Salamanca,  at  the  Uni 
versity.  Bartolome  de  Las  Casas,  whom  Juan  Lepe  should 
live  to  know  and  work  with.  But  this  evening  I  heard  the 
father  talk,  as  any  father  of  any  promising  son. 

With  us,  too,  was  Don  Juan  Ponce  de  Leon,  who  had  a 
story  out  of  Mandeville  of  a  well  by  the  city  of  Polombe  in 
Prester  John's  country.  If  you  drank  of  the  well,  though 
you  were  dying  you  would  never  more  have  sickness,  and 

[201] 


though  you  were  white-bearded  you  would  come  young 
again ! 

The  palms  waved  above  Isabella  that  was  building  be 
hind  the  camp  by  the  river.  It  was  beginning,  it  was  planned 
out;  the  stone  church,  the  stone  house  of  the  Viceroy  were 
already  breast-high.  A  Spanish  city  building,  and  the  bells 
of  Europe  ringing. 

Out  sprang  the  noise  of  a  brawl.  —  There  was  that  in  the 
Admiral  that  would  have  when  it  could  outward  no  less 
than  inward  magnificence.  He  could  go  like  a  Spartan  or 
Diogenes  the  Cynic,  but  when  the  chance  came  —  magnifi 
cence!  With  him  from  Spain  traveled  a  Viceroy's  house 
hold.  He  had  no  less  than  thirty  personal  servants  and 
retainers.  Hidalgos  here  at  Isabella  had  also  servants, 
but  no  one  more  than  two  or  three.  It  was  among  these 
folk  that  first  arose  our  amazing  jealousies  and  envies.  Now 
and  again  the  masters  must  take  part.  Not  the  Viceroy 
who  in  such  matters  went  very  statelily,  but  certain  of  our 
gentlemen.  Loud  and  angry  voices  rose  under  the  palms, 
under  a  sky  of  pale  gold. 

Sent  for,  I  found  the  Admiral  lying  on  his  bed,  not  yet 
in  his  stone  house  but  in  a  rich  and  large  pavilion  brought 
out  especially  for  the  Viceroy  and  now  pitched  upon  the 
river  bank,  under  palms.  I  came  to  him  past  numbers  out 
of  that  thirty.  Idle  here;  they  certainly  were  idle  here! 
With  him  I  found  a  secretary,  but  when  he  could  he  pre 
ferred  always  to  write  his  own  letters,  in  his  small,  clear, 
strong  hand,  and  now  he  was  doing  this,  propped  in  bed, 
in  his  brow  a  knot  of  pain.  He  wrote  many  letters.  Long 
afterwards  I  heard  that  it  had  become  a  saying  in  Spain, 
"  Write  of  your  matters  as  often  as  Christopherus  Colum 
bus!" 

I  sat  waiting  for  him  to  finish  and  he  saw  my  eyes  upon 
yet  unfolded  pages  strewing  the  table  taken  from  the  Mari- 
galante  and  set  here  beside  him.  "  Read  if  you  like,"  he  said. 
"The  ships  set  sail  day  after  to-morrow." 

I  took  and  read  in  part  his  letter  to  a  learned  man  with 
[202] 


whom,  once  or  twice,  Jayme  de  Marchena  had  talked.  It 
was  a  long  letter  in  which  the  Admiral,  thinker  to  thinker, 
set  forth  his  second  voyage  and  now  his  city  building,  and 
at  last  certain  things  for  the  mind  not  only  of  Spain  but  of 
France  and  Italy  and  England  and  Germany.  "  All  lands 
and  all  men  whom  so  far  we  have  come  to,"  wrote  the  Ad 
miral,  "  are  heathen  and  idolaters.  In  the  providence  of 
God  all  such  are  given  unto  Christendom.  Christendom 
must  take  possession  through  the  acts  of  Christian  princes, 
under  the  sanction  of  Holy  Church,  allowed  by  the  Pope  who 
is  Christ  our  King's  Viceroy.  Seeming  hardship  bringeth 
great  gain !  Millions  of  souls  converted,  are  baptized.  Every 
infant  feeleth  the  saving  water.  Souls  that  were  lost  now 
are  found.  Christ  beameth  on  them!  To  that,  what  is  it 
that  the  earthly  King  of  a  country  be  changed  ?  " 

His  quill  traveled  on  over  paper.  Another  sheet  came 
into  my  hand.  I  read  it,  then  sat  pondering.  He  sighed 
with  pain,  pushed  all  aside  and  presently  bade  the  secretary 
forth.  When  the  man  was  gone  he  told  me  of  an  agony 
behind  his  eyes  that  now  stabbed  and  now  laid  him  in  a 
drowsiness.  I  did  what  I  could  for  him  then  waited  until 
the  access  was  over.  It  passed,  and  he  took  again  his  pen. 

I  said,  "  You  advise  that  there  be  made  a  market  for 
Carib  slaves,  balancing  thus  the  negroes  the  Portuguese  are 
bringing  in,  and  providing  a  fund  for  our  needs  —  " 

He  said,  "  They  are  eaters  of  men's  flesh,  intractable  and 
abominable,  not  like  the  gentler  people  we  find  hereabouts! 
It  is  certain  that  before  long,  fleet  after  fleet  coming,  our 
two  thousand  here  growing  into  many  thousands,  more 
cities  than  Isabella  arising,  commerce  and  life  as  in  Europe 
beginning  —  Well,  these  fiercer,  Caribal  islands  will  be  over 
run,  taken  for  Spain !  What  better  to  do  with  their  people  ? 
I  do  not  wish  to  slay  them  and  eat  them ! " 

"Slaves  —  " 

"How  many  Moors  in  Castile  and  Arragon,  slaves  and 
none  the  worse  for  it,  being  baptized,  being  kindly  enough 
entreated!  And  now  the  Portuguese  bring  Negroes,  and 

[203] 


are  they  the  worse  off,  being  taken  from  a  deep  damnation? 
Long  ago,  I  have  read,  the  English  were  taken  to  Rome  and 
sold  in  the  market  place,  and  the  blessed  Gregory,  seeing 
them,  cried,  '  Christ  shall  be  preached  in  their  nation ! ' 
Whereupon  he  sent  Augustine  and  all  England  was  saved. — 
Look  you,  this  world  is  rude  and  worketh  rudely!  But  it 
climbs  in  the  teeth  of  its  imperfections !  " 

"  I  do  not  doubt  that,"  I  said.    "  When  it  wills  to  climb." 

"  I  do  but  lay  it  before  the  Sovereigns,"  he  answered. 
"  I  do  not  know  what  they  will  think  of  it  there.  But  truly 
I  know  not  what  else  to  do  with  these  Asiatics  when  they 
withstand  us !  And  even  in  slavery  they  must  gain  from 
Christians !  What  matters  masters  when  they  find  the  True 
Master?" 

Juan  Lepe  brooded  still  while  the  pen  scratched  and 
scratched  across  the  page.  The  noise  ceased.  I  looked  up 
to  see  if  he  were  in  pain  again,  and  met  gray-blue  eyes  as 
longing  as  a  child's.  "  What  I  would,"  he  said,  "  is  that 
the  Lord  would  give  to  me  forever  to  sail  a  great  ship,  and 
to  find,  forever  to  find!  The  sea  is  wider  than  the  land, 
and  it  sends  its  waves  upon  all  lands.  Not  Viceroy,  but 
the  Navigator,  the  Finder  — " 

Juan  Lepe  also  thought  that  there  streamed  his  Genius. 
Here  he  was  able,  but  there  played  the  Fire.  But  he,  like 
many  another,  had  bound  himself.  Don  Cristoval  Colon  — 
Viceroy  —  and  eighths  and  tenths! 


[204] 


CHAPTER  XXX 

TWELVE  of  our  ships  went  home  to  Spain. 
February  wheeled  by.     March  was  here,  and  every 
day  the  sun  sent  us  more  heat. 

The  Indians  around  us  still  were  friendly  —  women  and 
all.  From  the  first  there  was  straying  in  the  woods  with 
Indian  women.  Doubtless  now,  in  the  San  Salvador  islands, 
in  Cuba  and  in  Hispaniola,  among  those  Guaricos  fled  from 
us  to  the  mountains,  would  be  infants  born  of  Spanish 
fathers.  Juan  Lepe  contemplated  that  filling  in  the  sea  be 
tween  Asia  and  Europe  with  the  very  blood. 

Sickness  broke  out.  It  was  not  such  as  that  first  sickness 
at  La  Navidad,  but  here  were  many  more  to  lie  ill.  Be 
sides  Juan  Lepe,  we  now  possessed  three  physicians.  They 
were  skillful,  they  labored  hard,  we  all  labored.  Men  died 
of  the  malady,  but  no  great  number.  But  now  among  the 
idle  of  mind  and  soul  and  the  factious  arose  the  eternal 
murmur.  Not  heaven  but  hell,  these  new  lands !  Not  wealth 
and  happy  ease,  but  poverty  and  miserable  toil !  Not  for 
ever  new  spectacle  and  greedy  wonder,  but  tiresome  river, 
forest  and  sea,  tiresome  blue  heaven,  tiresome  delving  and 
building,  tiresome  rules,  restrictions,  commandments,  yeas 
and  nays !  Parties  arose,  two  main  parties,  and  within  each 
lesser  differings. 

The  Viceroy  stifBy  withstood  the  party  that  was  not  his, 
and  upon  some  slur  and  insolence  took  from  a  man  his  office. 
Followed  a  week  of  glassy  smoothness.  Then  suddenly,  by 
chance,  was  discovered  the  plot  of  Bernal  Diaz  de  Pisa  —  the 
first  of  many  Spanish  conspiracies.  It  involved  several  hun- 

[205] 


149Q 


dred  men  and  was  no  less  a  thing  than  the  seizure  in  the  dark 
night  of  the  ships  and  the  setting  sail  for  Spain,  there  to 
wreck  the  fame  of  Christopherus  Columbus  and  if  possible 
obtain  the  sending  out  of  some  prince  over  him,  who  would 
beam  kindly  on  all  hidalgos  and  never  put  them  to  vulgar 
work.  A  letter  was  found  in  Bernal  Diaz's  hand,  and  if 
therein  any  ill  was  left  unsaid  of  the  Admiral  and  Viceroy, 
I  know  not  what  it  might  be !  The  "  Italian  ",  the  "  Low 
born  ",  the  "  madly  arrogant  and  ambitious  ",  the  "  cruel " 
and  "  violent  ",  the  "  tyrant  "  acted.  Bernal  Diaz  was  made 
and  kept  prisoner  on  Vicente  Pinzon's  ship.  Of  his  follow 
ing  one  out  of  ten  lay  in  prison  for  a  month.  Of  the  sea 
men  concerned  three  were  flogged  and  all  had  their  pay 
estopped. 

One  might  say  that  Isabella  was  builded.  Columbus  him 
self  stood  and  moved  in  better  health.  Now  he  would  go 
discovering  on  dry  land,  to  Alonso  de  Ojeda's  glee,  glee  in 
deed  of  many.  The  mountains  of  Cibao,  where  might  be 
the  gold, —  and  gold  must  be  had! 

And  we  might  find  Caonabo,  and  what  peoples  were  be 
hind  our  own  mountains,  and  perhaps  come  upon  Guacana- 
gari.  We  went,  four  hundred  men  and  more,  an  army  with 
banners.  We  wished  to  impress,  and  we  took  any  and  all 
things  that  might  help  in  that  wise.  Drum  and  trumpet 
beat  and  sang.  Father  Buil  was  not  with  us.  But  three  of 
his  missionaries  accompanied  us,  and  they  carried  a  great 
crucifix.  There  were  twenty  horses,  and  terrible  were  these 
to  this  land  as  the  elephants  of  the  Persians  to  the  Greeks. 
And  much  we  marveled  that  Cuba  and  Hayti  had  no  memory 
nor  idea  of  elephants.  A  throng  of  Indians  would  go  with 
us,  and  in  much  they  carried  our  supplies.  It  was  first 
seen  clearly  at  this  time,  I  think,  the  uses  that  might  be 
drawn  from  our  heathen  subjects.  Alonso  de  Ojeda,  Juan 
Ponce  de  Leon  and  Pedro  Margarite  rode  with  the  Admiral. 
Others  followed  on  black  and  bay  and  white  horses.  Juan 
Lepe  marched  with  the  footmen.  He  was  glad  to  find  Luis 
Torres. 

[206] 


Before  setting  out  we  went  to  mass  in  the  new  church. 
Candles  burned,  incense  rose  in  clouds,  the  friars  chanted, 
the  bell  rang,  we  took  the  wafer,  the  priest  lifted  the  chalice. 

The  sun  rose,  the  trumpets  rang,  we  were  gone.  South, 
before  us,  the  mountain  line  was  broken  by  a  deep  notch. 
That  would  be  our  pass,  afar,  and  set  high,  filled  with  an 
intense,  a  burning  sapphire.  We  had  Indian  guides. 

Day,  evening,  camp  and  night.  Dawn,  trumpets,  break 
fast  and  good  understanding  and  jollity.  After  breakfast 
the  march,  and  where  was  any  road  up  the  heights?  And 
being  none  we  would  make  one  and  did,  our  hidalgos  toil 
ing  with  the  least.  By  eve  we  were  in  the  high  pass,  level 
ground  under  our  feet,  above  us  magnificent  trees.  We 
called  it  the  Pass  of  the  Hidalgos.  We  threw  ourselves  down 
and  slept.  At  sunrise  we  pushed  on,  and  presently  saw  what 
Juan  Lepe  once  before  had  seen,  the  vast  southward-lying 
plain  and  the  golden  mountains  of  Cibao. 

There  rose  a  cry,  it  was  so  beautiful!  The  Admiral 
named  it  Vega  Real,  the  Royal  Plain. 

Sweating,  panting,  we  came  at  last  down  that  most  difficult 
descent  into  rolling  forest  and  then  to  a  small  bright  stream, 
beside  it  garden  patches  and  fifty  huts.  The  inhabitants 
fled  madly,  we  heard  their  frightened  shouts  and  the  scream 
ing  of  children.  Thereafter  we  tried  to  keep  in  advance  a 
small  body  of  Indians,  so  that  they  might  tell  that  the  gods 
were  coming,  but  that  they  would  not  injure. 

Acclivity  and  declivity  fell  away.  We  were  fully  in  an 
enormous,  fertile  and  populous  plain. 

The  horses  and  the  horsemen !  At  first  they  thought  that 
these  were  one.  When  some  cowering  group  was  surrounded 
and  kept  from  breaking  away,  when  Alonso  de  Ojeda  or 
another  leaped  from  steed  to  earth,  from  earth  again  to 
steed,  they  moaned  with  astonishment  and  some  relief.  But 
the  horses,  the  horses  —  never  to  have  seen  any  great  four- 
footed  things,  and  now  these  that  were  proud  and  pawed  the 
earth  and  neighed  and  —  De  Ojeda's  black  horse  —  reared, 
curvetted,  bounded,  appeared  to  threaten!  The  eyes,  the 

[207] 


mane,  the  great  teeth! —     There  grew  a  legend  that  they 
were  fed  upon  men's  flesh,  red  men's  flesh! 

How  many  red  men  were  in  Quisquaya  I  do  not  know.  In 
some  regions  they  dwelled  thickly,  in  others  were  few  folk. 
In  this  wide,  long,  laughing  plain  dwelled  many,  in  clean 
towns  sunk  among  trees  good  to  look  at  and  dropping  fruit ; 
by  river  or  smaller  stream,  with  plantings  of  maize,  batata, 
cassava,  jucca,  maguey,  and  I  know  not  what  beside.  If 
the  stream  was  a  considerable  one,  canoes.  They  had  par 
rots  ;  they  had  the  small  silent  dogs.  In  some  places  we  saw 
clay  pots  and  bowls.  They  wove  their  cotton,  though  not 
very  skillfully.  They  crushed  their  maize  in  hand  mills.  We 
found  caciques  and  butios,  and  heard  of  their  main  cacique, 
Gwarionex.  But  he  did  not  come  to  meet  us ;  they  said  he 
had  gone  on  a  visit  to  Caonabo  in  Cibao.  They  brought  us 
food  and  took  our  gifts  in  exchange ;  they  harangued  us  in 
answer  to  our  harangues;  they  made  dances  for  us.  The 
children  thronged  around,  fearless  now  and  curious.  The 
women  were  kind.  Old  men  and  women  together,  and  some 
times  more  women  than  men,  sat  in  a  council  ring  about  some 
venerable  tree. 

There  was  no  quarrel  and  no  oppression  upon  this  ad 
venture.  I  look  back  and  I  see  that  single  journey  in  Hispan- 
iola  a  flower  and  pattern  of  what  might  be. 

They  gave  us  what  gold  they  had  —  freely  —  and  we  gave 
in  return  things  that  they  prized.  But  always  they  said 
Cibao  for  gold. 

We  rode  and  marched  afoot,  with  many  halts  and  turns 
aside,  five  leagues  across  plain.  A  large  river  barred  our 
way, —  the  Yaqui  they  called  it.  Here  we  spent  two  days 
in  a  village  a  bowshot  from  the  water.  We  searched  for 
gold,  we  sent  from  Indian  to  Indian  rumor  that  it  was  the 
highest  magic,  god-magic  that  of  all  things  in  the  world  we 
most  desired  and  took  it  from  their  hands,  yet  still  we  paid 
for  it  in  goods  for  which  they  lusted,  and  we  neither  forced 
nor  threatened  force.  And  though  we  were  four  hundred, 
yet  there  might  be  in  the  Royal  Plain  forty  thousand,  and 

[208] 


their  hue  and  their  economy  was  yet  prince  in  the  land,  and 
the  Spaniard  a  visitor.  And  there  commanded  the  four  hun 
dred  a  humane  man,  with  something  of  the  guilelessness  of 
the  child. 

We  crossed  the  Yaqui  in  canoes  and  upon  rafts.  White, 
brown  and  black,  the  horses  swam  the  stream.  Again  nigh 
impenetrable  forest,  again  villages,  again  clear  singing  and 
running  waters.  But  ever  the  mountains  came  closer.  At 
last  we  entered  hilly  country  and  the  streams  pushed  with 
rapidity,  flowing  to  the  Yaqui,  flowing  to  the  sea.  Now  we 
began  to  find  gold.  It  glistened  in  the  river  sands.  Some 
times  we  found  nuts  of  it,  washed  from  the  rocks  far  above. 
There  came  upon  us  the  gold  fever.  Mines  —  we  must  open 
mines!  Fermin  Cedo,  our  essayer,  would  have  it  that  it 
was  not  Ophir,  but  at  that  time  he  was  hardly  believed. 
The  Admiral  wrote  a  letter  about  these  golden  mines. 

An  Indian  brought  him  a  piece  of  amber;  another,  a 
lump  of  blue  stone.  We  found  jasper,  we  were  sure  of 
copper. 

We  came  to  a  natural  rampart,  wide  at  top,  steeply  de 
scending  on  three  sides,  set  in  a  loop  of  a  little  clear  river 
named  Yanique.  "  Ho !  "  cried  Alonso  de  Ojeda.  "  Here  is 
the  cradle  for  the  babe!  Round  tower,  walls,  barbican 
yonder,  and  Mother  Nature  has  dug  the  moat !  "  He  sent 
his  voice  across  to  the  Viceroy.  "  A  fort,  Senor,  a  fort !  " 

Council  was  held  by  the  Yanique.  A  fort,  —  a  luckier  than 
La  Navidad !  Men  left  here  to  collect  gold,  establish  a  road, 
keep  communication  with  Isabella  which  in  turn  should  for 
ward  supplies  and  men.  The  returning  fleet  might  bring 
two  thousand  —  nay,  five  thousand  men !  It  would  certainly 
bring  asses  and  mules  as  well  as  horses.  We  should  have 
burden-bearers.  Moreover,  a  company  of  Indians  might  be 
trained  to  come  and  go  as  carriers.  Train  them,  set  some 
sort  of  penalty  for  malfeasance. 

"They  should  be  taught  to  mine  for  us,"  said  Pedro 
Margarite.  "Pay  them?  Of  course— -of  course!  But  do 
not  pay  them  too  much.  Do  not  we  protect  them  from 

[209] 


Caribs  and  save  their  souls  to  boot  ?  Take  it  as  tribute !  " 
It  was  the  first  time  the  word  was  said,  in  Spanish,  here. 
We  built  a  fort  much  after  the  model  of  La  Navid^d 
and  named  it  St.  Thomas.  When  after  days  it  was  done, 
and  commandant  must  be  chosen,  the  Viceroy's  choice  fell 
upon  Pedro  Margarite.  And  that  was  great  pity.  But  he 
could  not  know  Margarite  then  as  afterwards  he  came  to 
know  him.  Fifty-six  men  he  left  with  Margarite,  and  the 
rest  of  us  marched  home  across  the  Vega  and  the  northern 
mountains  to  Isabella. 

Sickness.  Quarrels.  Idleness,  vanity,  dissensions  and 
accusations.  Heat,  more  sickness,  wild  quarrels. 

Tidings  from  Margarite  at  St.  Thomas.  The  Indians 
would  no  longer  bring  food.  Caonabo  was  threatening  from 
the  higher  mountains.  The  Viceroy  wrote  to  Margarite. 
Compel  the  Indians  to  bring  food,  but  as  it  were  to  compel 
them  gently! 

Quarrels  —  quarrels  at  Isabella.  Two  main  parties  and 
all  the  lesser  ones.  Disease  and  scarcity.  Fray  Geronimo 
arrived  from  St.  Thomas.  He  had  stories.  The  Viceroy 
grew  dark  red,  his  eyes  lightened.  Yet  he  believed  that  what 
was  told  pertained  to  men  of  Margarite,  not  to  that  cavalier 
himself.  He  wrote  to  Margarite — I  do  not  know  what. 
But  presently  a  plan  arose  in  his  mind  and  was  announced. 
Don  Alonso  de  Ojeda  was  to  command  St.  Thomas.  Don 
Pedro  Margarite  should  have  a  moving  force  of  several 
hundred  Castilians,  mainly  for  exploration,  but  at  need  for 
other  things.  Going  here  and  there  about  the  country,  it 
might  impress  upon  Caonabo  that  the  Spaniard,  though 
gentle  by  nature,  was  dangerous  when  aroused. 

Alonso  de  Ojeda,  three  hundred  men  behind  him,  went 
forth  on  his  black  horse,  to  trumpet  and  drum,  very  gay 
and  ready  to  go.  In  a  week  he  sent  into  Isabella  six  In 
dians  in  chains.  These  had  set  upon  three  of  Margarite's 
men  coming  with  a  letter  to  the  Viceroy  and  had  robbed 
them,  though  without  doing  them  bodily  injury.  Alonso  de 

[210] 


Ojeda  had  cut  off  their  ears  and  sent  them  all  in  heavily 
chained.  The  Viceroy  condemned  them  to  be  beheaded,  but 
when  they  were  on  their  knees  before  the  block  reprieved 
them,  one  by  one.  He  kept  them  chained  for  a  time  for 
all  visiting  Indians  to  see,  then  formally  pardoned  them 
and  let  them  go. 

Matters  quieted.  Sickness  again  sank,  a  flood  retiring, 
leaving  pools.  Alonso  de  Ojeda  and  Pedro  Margarite  re 
ported  peace  in  Hispaniola.  The  Admiral  came  forth  from 
his  house  one  day  and  said  quietly  to  this  one  and  that  one 
that  now  he  meant  again  to  take  up  Discovery. 

He  gave  authority  in  Isabella  to  Don  Diego,  and  made  him 
a  council  where  sat  Father  Buil,  Caravajal,  Coronel  and 
Juan  de  Luxan.  Then  out  of  five  ships  we  took  the  Cord  era, 
the  Santa  Clara  and  the  San  Juan,  and  we  set  sail  on  April 
the  twenty-fourth. 


tan 


CHAPTER  XXXI 

THE  island,  we  learned,  was  named  Jamaica.    The  Ad 
miral  called  it   Santiago,  but  it  also  rests  Jamaica. 
Of  all  these  lands,  outside  of  the  low,  small  islands 
to  which  we  came  first,  Cuba  seemed  to  us  the  peaceable 
land.    Jamaica  gave  us  almost  Carib  welcome.     Its  folk  had 
the  largest  canoes,  the  sharpest,  toughest  lances.     Perhaps 
they  had  heard  from  some  bold  sea  rover  that  we  had  come, 
but  that  we  were  not  wholly  gods! 

Our  crossbow  men  shot  amongst  them.  The  arrows  failed 
to  halt  them,  but  when  we  sent  a  bloodhound  the  dog  did 
our  work.  It  was  to  them  what  griffon  or  fire-breathing 
dragon  might  be  to  a  Seville  throng.  When  the  creature 
sprang  among  them  they  uttered  a  great  cry  and  fled. 

Jamaica  is  most  beautiful. 

For  not  a  few  days  we  visited,  sailing  and  anchoring, 
lifting  again  and  stopping  again.  Once  the  people  were 
pacified,  they  gave  us  kindly  enough  welcome,  trading  and 
wondering.  We  slipped  by  bold  coasts  and  headlands  which 
we  must  double,  mountains  above  us.  They  ran  by  inland 
paths,  saving  distance,  telling  village  after  village.  When 
we  made  harbor,  here  was  the  thronged  beach.  Some  of 
these  people  wore  a  slight  dress  of  woven  grass  and  palm 
leaves,  and  they  used  crowns  of  bright  feathers.  We  got 
from  them  in  some  quantity  golden  ornaments.  But  south 
for  gold,  south  —  south,  they  always  pointed  south ! 

The  Cordera,  the  Santa  Clara  and  the  San  Juan  set  sail 
out  of  the  Harbor  of  Good  Weather,  in  Santiago  or  Ja 
maica.  A  day  and  a  night  of  pleasant  sailing,  then  we  saw 
the  great  Cuba  coast  rise  blue  in  the  distance.  The  weather 
wheeled. 

[212] 


There  was  first  a  marvelous  green  hush,  while  clouds 
formed  out  of  nothing.  We  heard  a  moaning  sound  and  we 
did  not  know  its  quarter.  The  sea  turned  dead  man's 
color.  Then  burst  the  wind.  It  was  more  than  wind;  it 
seemed  the  movement  of  a  world  upon  us.  Bare  of  all 
sails,  we  labored.  We  were  driven,  one  from  the  other. 
The  mariners  fell  to  praying. 

A  strange  light  was  around  us,  as  though  the  tempest 
itself  made  a  light.  By  it  I  marked  the  Admiral,  upright 
where  he  could  best  command  the  whole.  He  had  lashed 
himself  there,  for  the  ship  tossed  excessively.  His  great 
figure  stood;  his  white,  blowing  hair,  in  that  strange  light, 
made  for  him  a  nimbus.  It  was  strange,  how  the  light  seemed 
to  seize  that  and  his  brow  and  his  gray-blue  eyes.  Below 
the  eyes  his  lips  moved.  He  was  shouting  encouragement, 
but  only  the  intention  could  be  heard.  The  intention  was 
heard.  He  looked  what  he  was,  something  more  than  a  bold 
man  and  a  brave  sea  captain,  and  there  streamed  from  him 
comfort.  It  touched  his  mariners;  it  came  among  them 
like  tongues  of  flame. 

Darkness  increased.  We  were  now  among  lightnings  like 
javelins  and  loud  thunder.  Then  fell  the  rain,  in  torrents, 
in  drops  large  as  plums.  It  was  as  though  another  ocean 
was  descending  upon  us. 

It  lasted  and  we  endured.  After  long  while  came  lessen 
ing  in  that  weight  of  rain,  and  then  cessation.  Suddenly 
the  tempest  was  over.  There  shone  a  star  —  three  stars  — 
and  on  topmast  and  bowsprit  Saint  Elmo's  lights. 

Our  mariners  shouted,  "  Safe  —  safe !     Saint  Elmo !  " 

Suddenly,  over  all  the  sky,  were  stars  shining.  The  Ad 
miral  raised  his  great  voice.  "  Sing,  all  of  us ! 

'  Stella  Maris  — 
Sancta  Maria ! '  " 

With  the  morning  the  Santa  Clara  and  the  San  Juan, 
beaten  about,  some  injury  done,  but  alive!  And  the  coast 

[213] 


of  Cuba,  nearer,  nearer,  tall  and  blue  —  and  at  last  very  tall 
and  green  and  gold. 

Off  Cuba  and  still  off  Cuba,  the  southern  coast  now,  as 
against  the  northern  that  once  we  tried  for  a  while.  Sail 
and  come  to  land,  stay  a  bit,  and  shake  out  sails  once 
more ! 

Wherever  we  tarried  we  found  peaceable  if  vastly  ex 
cited  Indians.  But  still  naked,  but  still  unwise  as  to  gold 
and  spices,  traders  and  markets.  Cambalu,  Quinsai  and 
Zaiton  of  the  marble  bridges! 

"  '  Somewhere/  saith  Messer  Marco,  '  in  part  the  country 
is  salvage,  filled  with  mountains,  and  here  come  few 
strangers,  for  the  king  will  not  have  them,  in  order  that  his 
treasures  and  certain  matters  of  his  kingdom  come  not  into 
the  world's  knowledge/  And  again  he  saith,  '  The  folk  here 
are  naked/  —  What  wonder  then,"  said  the  Admiral,  "  that 
we  find  these  things !  Yea,  I  feel  surprised  at  the  incessancy, 
but  I  check  myself  and  think,  how  vast  is  Asia,  and  what 
variousness  must  needs  be !  " 

But  we  moved  in  a  cloud  of  differences,  and  while  on 
the  one  hand  this  world  was  growing  familiar,  on  the  other 
the  sense  increased.  "  How  vast  indeed  must  be  Asia,  if 
all  this  and  yet  we  come  not  —  and  now  it  is  going  on  two 
years  —  to  any  clear  hint  of  other  than  this ! " 

He  himself,  the  Admiral,  began  to  feel  this  strangeness. 
Or  rather,  he  had  long  felt  it  and  fought  the  feeling,  but 
now  strongly  it  came  creeping  over. 

We  were  among  the  hugest  number  of  small  islands.  Star 
board  loomed,  until  it  was  lost  in  the  farness,  that  coast 
that  we  were  following,  but  the  three  ships  were  in  a  half- 
land,  half-water  world.  We  wandered  in  this  labyrinth, 
keeping  with  difficulty  our  way,  so  crooked  and  narrow  the 
channels,  so  many  the  sandbars.  From  deck  it  minded  me 
of  that  sea  of  weed  we  met  in  the  first  passage. 

Waves  of  fragrance  struck  us.  "  Ha !  "  cried  the  Ad 
miral.  "  Can  you  not  smell  cinnamon,  spikenard,  nutmeg, 
cloves  and  galingal  ?  "  His  faith  was  so  strong  that  we  did 

[214] 


smell.  From  one  of  these  islands,  the  Cordera  lying  at 
anchor  and  a  boat  going  ashore,  we  took  a  number  of  pigeons. 
So  unafraid  were  these  birds  that  our  men  approached  them 
easily  and  beat  them  down  with  a  pike.  We  had  them  for 
supper,  and  when  their  crops  were  opened,  the  cook  found 
and  brought  to  the  Admiral  a  number  of  brown  seeds.  The 
Admiral  dropped  them  into  clear  water,  then  smelled  and 
tasted.  "  Cloves  ?  Are  they  not  cloves  ?  "  He  gave  to  Juan 
de  la  Cosa  and  to  me  who  also  tasted  and  thought  they  might 
be  cloves.  But  we  did  not  find  their  tree,  and  we  saw  no 
signs  of  ever  a  merchant  of  Cathay  or  Mangi  or  Ind. 

Christopherus  Columbus  leaned  upon  the  rail  of  the  Cor 
dera.  In  this  islet  world  we  lay  at  anchor  for  the  night. 
"  Do  you  know  what  it  is,"  he  asked,  "  to  have  a  word  color 
the  whole  day  long  ?  "  He  glanced  around,  but  none  was 
very  near.  "  My  word  to-day  is  magic.  I'd  not  give  it  to 
any  but  you,  and  I  drop  my  voice  in  saying  it.  I'll  sail  on 
through  magic  and  against  magic,  for  I  have  Help  from 
Above !  But  I'll  not  lay  a  fearsome  word  among  those  who 
are  not  so  accorded!  All  say  India  hath  high  magic,  and 
the  Grand  Khan  takes  from  that  country  his  astrologers 
and  sorcerers.  I  have  read  that  at  Shandu,  if  there  be  long 
raining,  they  will  mount  a  tower  by  the  palace  and  wave  it 
back,  so  that  the  falling  rain  makes  but  a  pleasant  wall 
around  the  king's  fair  garden  that  itself  rests  in  sunshine. 
Also  that  without  touching  them  they  cause  the  golden 
flagons  to  fill  with  red  wine  and  to  move  through  air,  with 
no  hand  upon  them,  to  the  king's  table.  That  was  long  ago. 
We  have  had  no  news  of  them  of  late.  They  may  do  now 
more  marvelous,  vaster  things." 

"And  the  moral?" 

"  I  said,  '  They  do  them  there.'     Perhaps  this  is  there." 

"  I  take  you !  "  I  said  and  half-laughed.  "  We  may  be  in 
Cathay  all  this  while,  under  the  golden  roofs,  with  the  bells 
strung  from  the  eaves.  Yonder  line  of  cranes  standing  in 
the  shallow  water,  watching  us,  may,  God  wot,  be  tall  ma 
gicians  in  white  linen  and  scarlet  silk !  " 

[215] 


He  crossed  himself.  The  cranes  had  lifted  themselves 
and  flown  away.  "  If  they  heard  —  " 

"  Are  you  in  earnest  ?  " 

He  put  his  hands  over  his  eyes.  "  Sometimes  I  think  it 
may  be  fact,  sometimes  not!  Sorcery  is  a  fact,  and  who 
knows  how  far  it  may  go?  At  times  my  brain  is  like  to 
crack,  I  have  so  cudgeled  it !  " 

That  he  cudgeled  it  was  true,  and  though  his  brain  never 
cracked  and  to  the  end  was  the  best  brain  in  a  hundred,  yet 
from  this  time  forth  I  began  to  mark  in  him  an  unearthliness. 

These  islands  we  named  the  Queen's  Gardens,  and  escap 
ing  from  them  came  again  to  clean  coast.  On  we  went  for 
two  days,  and  this  part  of  Cuba  had  many  villages,  at  sea 
edge  or  a  little  from  the  water,  and  all  men  and  women  were 
friendly  and  brought  us  gifts. 

I  remember  a  moonlight  night.  All  were  aboard  the  Cor- 
dera,  the  Santa  Clara  and  the  San  Juan,  for  we  meant  to 
sail  at  dawn.  We  had  left  a  village  yet  dancing  and  feast 
ing.  The  night  was  a  miracle  of  silver.  Again  I  stood  be 
side  Christopherus  Columbus;  from  land  streamed  their 
singing  and  their  thin,  drumming  and  clashing  music.  At 
hand  it  is  rather  harsh  than  sweet,  but  distance  sweetened 
it. 

"What  will  be  here  in  the  future  —  if  there  are  not  al 
ready  here,  after  your  notion,  great  cities  and  bridges  and 
shipping,  and  only  our  eyes  holden  and  our  hands  and  steps 
made  harmless?  Or  nearly  harmless,  for  we  have  slain 
some  Indians !  " 

He  had  made  a  gesture  of  deprecation.  "Ah,  that,  I 
hardly  doubt,  was  my  fancy !  But  in  the  future  I  see  them, 
your  cities !  " 

"  Do  you  see  them,  from  San  Salvador  onward  and  every 
where,  —  Spanish  cities  ?  " 

"  Necessarily  —  seeing  that  the  Holy  Father  hath  given 
the  whole  of  the  land  to  Spain."  He  looked  at  the  moon 
that  was  so  huge  and  bright,  and  listened  to  the  savage 
music.  "If  we  go  far  enough  —  walking  afar  —  who 

[216] 


knoweth  what  we  shall  find  ?  "     He  stood  motionless.     "  / 
do  not  know.     It  is  in  God's  hands !  " 

"  Do  you  see,"  I  asked,  "  a  great  statue  of  yourself  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  see  that." 

The  moon  shone  so  brightly  it  was  marvel.  Land  breeze 
brought  perfume  from  the  enormous  forest.  "  It  is  too  fair 
to  sleep !  "  said  the  Admiral.  "  I  will  sit  here  and  think." 

He  slept  little  at  any  time.  His  days  were  filled  with  ac 
tion.  Never  was  any  who  had  more  business  to  attend  to! 
Yet  he  was  of  those  to  whom  solitude  is  as  air,  —  imperiously 
a  necessity.  Into  it  he  plunged  through  every  crack  and 
cranny  among  events.  He  knew  how  to  use  the  space  in 
which  swim  events.  But  beside  this  he  must  make  for  him 
self  wide  holdings,  and  when  he  could  not  get  them  by  day 
he  took  from  night. 

We  came  again  to  a  multitude  of  islets  like  to  the  Queen's 
Gardens.  And  these  were  set  in  a  strange  churned  and 
curdled  sea,  as  white  as  milk.  Making  through  it  as  best 
we  might,  we  passed  from  that  silverness  and  broken  land 
into  a  great  bay  or  gulf,  so  deep  that  we  might  hardly  find 
bottom,  and  here  we  anchored  close  to  a  long  point  of,  Cuba 
covered  thick  with  palms. 

We  went  ashore  for  water  and  fruit.  Solitary  —  neither 
man  nor  woman !  We  found  tracks  upon  the  sand  that  some 
among  us  would  have  it  were  made  by  griffons.  One  of 
our  men  had  the  thought  that  he  might  procure  some  large 
bird  for  the  Admiral's  table.  Taking  a  crossbow  he  passed 
alone  through  the  palms  into  the  deeper  wood.  He  was  gone 
an  hour,  and  when  he  returned  it  was  in  haste,  with  a  chalk 
face  and  great  eyes.  I  was  seated  in  the  boat  with  the  master, 
of  the  Cordera  and  heard  his  tale.  He  had  found  what  he 
thought  a  natural  aisle  of  the  forest  and  had  stolen  down 
it,  looking  keenly  for  pigeon  or  larger  bird.  A  tree  with 
drooping  branches  stood  across  the  aisle,  he  said.  He  went 
around  the  trunk,  which  was  a  great  one,  and  it  was  as 
though  he  had  turned  into  the  nave  of  the  cathedral.  There 
was  space,  but  trees  like  pillars  on  either  side,  and  at  the 

[217] 


end  three  great  trees  covered  to  the  tops  with  vine  and  purple 
grapes.  And  here  he  saw  before  him,  under  the  great 
est  tree,  a  man  in  a  long  white  gown  like  a  White  Friar. 
The  sight  halted  him,  turned  him,  he  averred,  to  stone. 
Two  more  men  in  white  dresses  but  shorter  than  that  of 
the  first,  came  from  among  the  trees  and  he  saw  behind 
these  a  number  in  like  clothing.  He  could  not  tell,  now 
he  thought  of  it,  if  they  were  carrying  lances  or  palms. 
We  had  looked  so  long  for  clothed  folk  that  it  was  the 
white  clothes  he  thought  of.  The  same  with  their  faces  — 
he  could  not  tell  about  them  —  he  thought  they  were  fair. 
Suddenly,  it  seemed,  Pan  had  fallen  upon  him  and  put  him 
forth  in  terror.  He  had  turned  and  raced  through  the 
forest,  here  to  the  sea.  He  did  not  think  the  white-clad 
men  had  seen  him. 

We  took  him  to  the  Admiral  who  listened,  then  brought 
his  hands  together.  "  Hath  it  not  —  hath  it  not,  I  ask  you 
—  sound  of  Prester  John?" 

With  the  dawn  he  had  men  ashore,  and  there  he  went 
himself,  with  him  Juan  de  la  Cosa  and  Juan  Lepe.  The 
crossbowman  —  it  was  Felipe  Garcia  —  showed  the  way. 
We  found  indeed  the  forest  aisle  and  nave,  and  the  three 
trees  and  the  purple  grapes,  a  vast  vine  with  heavy  clusters, 
but  we  found  no  men  and  no  sign  of  men. 

The  Admiral  was  not  discouraged.  "  If  he  truly  saw 
then,  and  I  believe  he  did,  then  are  they  somewhere  —  " 

We  beat  all  the  neighborhood.  Solitary,  solitary!  He 
divided  the  most  determined  of  us  —  so  many  from  each 
ship  —  into  two  bands  and  sent  in  two  directions.  We  were 
to  search,  if  necessary,  through  ten  leagues.  We  went,  but 
returned  empty  of  news  of  clothed  men.  We  found  deso 
late  forest,  and  behind  that  a  vast,  matted,  low  growth,  im 
penetrable  and  extending  far  away.  At  last  we  determined 
that  Felipe  Garcia  had  seen  white  cranes.  Unless  it  were 
magic  — 

We  sailed  on  and  we  sailed  on.  The  Cordera,  the  Santa 
Clara  and  the  San  Juan  were  in  bad  case,  hurt  in  that 

[218] 


storm  between  Jamaica  and  Cuba,  and  wayworn  since  in 
those  sandy  seas,  among  those  myriad  islets.  Our  seamen 
and  our  shipmasters  now  loudly  wished  return  to  Isabella. 
He  pushed  us  farther  on  and  farther  on,  and  still  we  did 
not  come  to  anything  beyond  those  things  we  had  already 
reached,  nor  did  we  come  either  to  any  end  of  Cuba.  And 
what  was  going  on  in  Hispaniola  —  in  Isabella?  We  had 
sailed  in  April  and  now  it  was  July. 

It  became  evident  to  him  at  last  that  he  must  turn.  The 
Viceroy  and  the  Admiral  warred  in  him,  had  long  warred 
and  would  war.  Better  for  him  had  he  never  insisted  upon 
viceroyship !  Then,  single-minded,  he  might  have  discovered 
to  the  end  of  his  days. 

We  turned,  the  C  order  a,  the  Santa  Clara  and  the  San 
Juan,  and  still  he  believed  that  the  long,  long  coast  of  Cuba 
was  the  coast  of  the  Asia  main.  He  saw  it  as  a  monster 
cape  or  prolongation,  sprouting  into  Ocean-Sea  as  sprouts 
Italy  into  Mediterranean.  Back  —  back  —  the  way  we  had 
come,  entering  again  that  white  sea,  entangled  again  among 
a  thousand  islets ! 

At  last  we  came  again  to  that  Cape  of  the  Cross  to  which 
we  had  escaped  in  the  Jamaica  tempest.  One  thing  he  would 
yet  do  in  this  voyage  and  that  was  to  go  roundabout  home 
ward  by  Jamaica  and  find  out  further  things  of  that  great 
and  fair  island.  We  left  Cuba  that  still  we  thought  was 
the  main.  Santiago  or  Jamaica  rose  before  us,  dark  blue 
mountains  out  of  the  dark  blue  sea.  For  one  month  we 
coasted  this  island,  for  always  the  weather  beat  us  back 
when  we  would  quit  it,  setting  our  sails  for  Hispaniola. 

We  came  to  Hayti  upon  the  southern  side,  and  because 
of  some  misreckoning  failed  of  knowing  that  it  was  Hayti, 
until  an  Indian  in  a  canoe  below  us,  called  loudly  "  El  Al- 
mirante !  "  And  yet  Isabella  was  the  thickness  of  the  island 
from  us,  and  the  weather  becoming  foul,  we  beat  about 
for  long  days,  struggling  eastward  and  pushed  back,  and 
again  parting  upon  a  stormy  night  one  ship  from  the  others. 
The  Cordera  anchored  by  a  tall,  rocky  islet  and  rode  out  the 

[219] 


storm.  Here,  when  it  was  calm,  we  went  ashore,  but  found 
no  man,  only  an  unreckonable  number  of  pigeons.  The 
Admiral  lay  on  clean,  warm  sand  and  rested  with  his  eyes 
shut.  I  was  glad  we  were  nigh  to  Isabella  and  his  house 
there,  for  I  did  not  think  him  well.  He  sat  up,  embracing 
his  great  knees  and  looking  at  the  sea  and  the  Cordera. 
"  I  have  been  thinking,  Doctor." 

"  For  your  health,  my  Admiral,  I  wish  you  could  rest  a 
while  from  thinking !  " 

"  We  were  upon  the  south  side  of  Mangi.  I  am  assured 
of  that!  Could  I,  this  time,  have  sailed  on —  Now  I  see 
it!" 

He  dropped  his  hands  from  his  knees  and  turned  full 
toward  me.  I  saw  that  lying  thus  for  an  hour  he  had  gath 
ered  strength  and  now  was  passed,  as  he  was  wont  to  pass 
after  quiet,  into  a  high  degree  of  vision,  accompanied  by 
forth-going  energy.  "  Now  I  see,  and  as  soon  as  I  may, 
I  will  do!  Beyond  Mangi,  Champa.  Beyond  Champa,  the 
coast  trending  southward,  India  of  the  Ganges  and  the 
Golden  Chersonese.  Land  of  Gold  —  Land  of  Gold !  —  are 
they  not  forever  pointing  southward?  But  it  is  not  of  gold 
—  or  wholly  gold  —  that  now  I  think!  Aurea  Chersonesus 
maketh  a  vast,  peninsula,  greater  maybe  than  Italy,  Greece 
and  Spain  taken  together.  But  I  will  round  it,  and  I  will 
come  to  the  mouth  of  Ganges !  Then  again,  I  read,  we  go 
southward!  There  is  the  Kingdom  of  Maabar  where  Saint 
Thomas  is  buried,  and  the  Kingdom  of  Monsul  where  the 
diamonds  are  found.  Then  we  come  to  the  Island  of  Zeilan, 
where  is  the  Tomb  of  our  Father  Adam.  Here  are  sap 
phires,  amethysts,  topaz,  garnet  and  rubies.  There  is  a 
ruby  here  beyond  price,  large  as  a  man's  two  fists  and  a 
well  of  red  fire.  But  what  I  should  think  most  of  would 
be  to  stand  where  Adam  laid  him  down.  —  Now  from  the 
Island  of  Zeilan  I  sail  across  the  India  sea.  And  I  go  still 
south,  three  hundred  leagues,  and  I  find  the  great  island  of 
Madagascar  whose  people  are  Saracens  and  there  is  the 
rukh-bird  that  can  lift  an  elephant,  and  they  cut  the  red 

[220] 


sandal  there  and  find  ambergris.  Then  lifteth  Zanzibar 
whose  women  are  monsters  and  where  the  market  is  in 
elephant  teeth.  And  so  I  come  at  last  to  the  extremity  of 
Africa  which  Bartholomew  Diaz  found  —  my  brother,  Don 
Bartholomew  being  with  him  —  and  named  Good  Hope. 
So  I  round  Good  Hope,  and  I  come  home  by  Cape  Bojador 
which  I  myself  have  seen.  I  will  pass  Fez  and  Ercilla  and 
the  straits  and  Cadiz.  I  will  enter  the  River  Sagres  at 
Palos,  for  there  was  where  I  first  put  forth.  The  bells  of 
La  Rabida  will  ring,  for  a  thing  is  done  that  was  never  done 
before,  and  that  will  not  cease  to  resound!  I  shall  have 
sailed  around  the  earth.  Christopherus  Columbus.  Ten 
ships.  Ten  chances  of  there  being  one  in  which  I  may  come 
home !  " 

"  There  have  been  worse  dreams !  "  said  Juan  Lepe. 

"  I  warrant  you !    But  I  am  not  dreaming." 

He  rose  and  stood  with  arms  outstretched,  crosswise. 
" '  Nought  is  hid/  saith  Scripture,  '  but  shall  be  found ! ' 
Here  is  Earth.  Do  you  not  think  that  one  day  we  shall  go 
all  about  it?  Aye,  freely,  freely!  With  zest  and  joy,  dis 
covering  that  it  is  a  loved  home.  For  every  road  some  man 
or  men  broke  the  clods !  " 

They  hailed  us  from  the  Cordera.  One  had  seen  from 
topmast  the  Santa  Clara. 

Still  we  sailed  by  the  south  coast  of  Hispaniola.  We 
knew  now  that  it  was  not  Cipango.  But  it  was  a  great 
island,  natheless,  and  one  day  might  be  as  Cipango.  Beata, 
Soana,  Mona  were  the  little  islands  that  we  found.  We 
sailed  between  them  and  our  great  island,  and  at  last  we 
came  to  the  corner  and  turned  northward,  and  again  after 
days  to  another  corner  and  sailed  west  once  more,  with  hopes 
now  of  Isabella.  It  was  the  first  week  in  September. 

In  a  great  red  dawn,  Roderigo,  the  Admiral's  servant, 
roused  Juan  Lepe.  "  Come  —  come  —  come,  Doctor !  " 

I  sprang  from  my  bed  and  followed  him.  Christopherus 
Columbus  lay  in  a  deep  swoon.  Round  he  came  from  that 
and  said,  "  Roderigo,  tell  them  that  I  am  perfectly  well,  but 

[221] 


1499 


wish  to  see  no  one ! "  From  that,  he  came  to  recognize  me. 
"  Doctor,  I  am  tired.  God  and  Our  Lady  only  know  how 
tired  I  am!" 

His  eyes  shut,  his  head  sank  deep  into  the  bed.  He  said 
not  another  word,  that  day  nor  the  next  nor  the  next.  Rode- 
rigo  and  I  forced  him  to  swallow  a  little  food  and  wine,  and 
once  he  rose  and  made  as  if  to  go  on  deck.  But  we  laid 
him  down  again  and  he  sank  into  movelessness  and  a  sleep 
of  all  the  faculties.  Juan  de  la  Cosa  took  care  of  the  Cor- 
dera.  So  we  sighted  Isabella  and  in  the  harbor  four  caravels 
that  had  not  been  there  when  we  had  sailed  in  April. 


[222] 


CHAPTER  XXXII 

TWO  men  came  into  the  cabin,  Don  Diego  Colon,  left 
in  charge  of  Hispaniola,  and  with  him  a  tall,  powerful, 
high-featured  man,  gray  of  eye  and  black  and  silver 
of  hair  and  short  beard.    As  he  stood  beside  the  bed,  one 
saw  that  he  must  be  kinsman  to  the  man  who  lay  upon  it. 
"  O  Bartholomew !    And  is  this  the  end  ?  "  cried  Don  Diego, 
and  I  knew  that  the  stranger  was  that  brother,  Bartholomew, 
for  whom  the  Admiral  longed. 

These  three  brothers !  One  lay  like  a  figure  upon  a  tomb 
save  for  the  breathing  that  stirred  his  silver  hair.  One, 
Don  Diego,  tall,  too,  and  strong,  but  all  of  a  gentle,  quiet 
mien,  sank  on  his  knees  and  seemed  to  pray.  One,  Don 
Bartholomew,  stood  like  rock  or  pine,  but  he  slowly  made  the 
sign  of  the  cross,  and  I  saw  his  gray  eyes  fill. 

It  seemed  to  me  that  the  Admiral's  eyelids  flickered. 
"  Speak  to  him  again,"  I  said.  "  Take  his  hand." 

Bartholomew  Columbus,  kneeling  in  the  Cordera's  cabin, 
put  his  arm  about  his  great  brother.  That  is  what  he  called 
him,  —  "  Christopher,  my  great  brother,  it  is  Bartholomew ! 
Don't  you  know  me?  Don't  you  remember?  I  must  go  to 
England,  you  said,  to  see  King  Henry.  To  tell  him  what 
you  could  do  —  what  you  have  done,  my  great  brother! 
Don't  you  remember?  I  went,  but  I  was  poor  like  you  — 
who  are  now  Viceroy  of  the  Indies  —  and  I  was  shipwrecked 
besides  and  lost  the  little  that  we  had  scraped  —  do  you  re 
member? —  and  must  live  like  you  by  making  maps  and 
charts,  and  it  was  long  before  I  saw  King  Henry !  —  Christ 
opher,  my  great  brother !  —  He  lies  like  death !  " 

[223] 


I  said,  "He  is  returning,  but  he  is  yet  a  long  way  off. 
Keep  speaking." 

"  But  King  Henry  said  at  last,  '  Go,  bring  us  that  brother 
of  yours,  and  we  think  it  may  be  done ! '  And  he  gave  me 
gold.  So  I  would  come  back  to  Spain  for  you,  and  I  reached 
Paris,  and  It  was  the  summer  of  1493.  Christopher,  my 
great  brother,  don't  you  hear  me  ?  For  it  was  at  Paris  that 
I  heard,  and  it  came  like  a  flood  of  glory,  fallen  in  one 
moment  from  Heaven !  I  heard,  '  Christopherus  Columbus ! 
He  has  found  the  Indies  for  King  Ferdinand  and  Queen 
Isabella!'  —  Don't  you  hear,  Christopher?  All  the  world 
admiring  —  all  the  world  saying,  '  Nothing  will  ever  go  just 
the  same  way  again ! '  You  have  done  the  greatest  thing, 
my  great  brother!  Doctor,  is  he  dying?" 

"  He  will  not  die,"  I  said.  "  You  are  cordial  to  him, 
though  he  hears  you  yet  from  leagues  and  leagues  away. 
Go  on!" 

"  Christopher,  from  Paris  I  got  slowly,  slowly,  —  oh, 
so  slowly  I  thought  it!  —  to  Seville.  But  I  was  not  poor. 
They  gave  me  gold,  the  French  King  gave  it,  their  nobles, 
their  bishops.  I  walked  in  that  glory;  it  flooded  me  from 
you!  All  your  people,  Christopher,  your  sons  and  your 
brothers  and  our  old  father.  You  build  us  again,  you  are 
our  castle  and  great  ship  and  Admiral!  When  I  came  to 
Barcelona,  how  they  praised  you !  When  I  came  to  Toledo, 
how  they  praised  you!  When  I  Came  to  Seville,  how  they 
praised  you !  But  at  Seville  I  learned  that  I  was  too  late, 
and  you  were  gone  upbn  your  second  voyage.  Then  I  went 
to  Valladolid  and  the  Queen  and  the  King  were  there,  and 
they  said,  '  He  has  just  sailed,  Don  Bartholomew,  from 
Cadiz  with  sixteen  ships  —  your  great  brother  who  hath 
crossed  Ocean-Sea  and  bound  to  us  Asia ! '  —  But,  sweet 
Jesu,  what  entertainment  they  gave  me,  all  because  I  had 
lain  in  our  old  wooden  cradle  at  Genoa  a  couple  of  years  or 
so  after  you !  —  Genoa !  —  They  say  Genoa  aches  because 
she  did  not  send  you.  Christopher,  do  you  remember  the 
old  rock  by  the  sea  —  and  you  begged  colors  from  Messer 

[224] 


Ludovico  and  fainted  upon  it  a  ship  and  we  called  it  the 
Great  Doge  —  " 

The  Admiral's  eyes  opened  slowly  like  a  gray  dawn;  he 
moved  ever  so  slightly  in  the  bed,  and  his  lips  parted. 
"  Brother,"  he  whispered. 

We  got  him  from  the  Cordera  to  Hispaniola  shore,  and 
so  in  a  litter  to  his  own  house  in  Isabella.  All  our  town 
was  gathered  to  see  him  carried  there.  He  began  to  im 
prove.  The  second  day  he  said  to  Don  Bartholomew,  "  You 
shall  be  my  lieutenant  and  deputy.  Adelantado  —  I  name 
you  Adelantado." 

Don  Bartholomew  said  bluntly,  "  Is  not  that  hard  upon 
Diego?" 

"  No,  no,  Bartholomew ! "  answered  Don  Diego,  who  was 
present.  "  If  it  were  question  of  a  prior  of  Franciscans,  now ! 
But  Christopher  knows  and  I  know  that  I  took  this  stormy 
world  but  for  lack  of  any  other  in  blood  to  serve  him.  Our 
Lady  knows  that  I  never  held  myself  to  be  the  man  for  the 
place !  Be  Adelantado  and  never  think  of  me !  " 

The  Admiral  upon  his  bed  spoke.  "  We  have  always 
worked  together,  we  Colombos.  When  it  is  done  for  the 
whole  there  is  no  jealousy  among  the  parts.  I  love  Diego, 
and  I  think  he  did  well,  constraining  his  nature  to  it,  here 
among  the  selfish,  the  dangerous  and  factious !  And  others 
know  that  he  did  well.  I  love  him  and  praise  him.  But 
Bartholomew,  thou  art  the  man  for  this !  " 

Accordingly,  the  next  noontide,  trumpets,  and  a  proclama 
tion  made  before  the  great  cross  in  the  middle  of  our  town. 
The  Viceroy's  new-come  brother  had  every  lieutenant  power. 

I  do  not  know  if  he  ever  disappointed  or  abused  it.  He 
became  great  helper  to  his  great  brother. 

These  three !  They  were  a  lesson  in  what  brothers  might 
be,  one  to  the  other,  making  as  it  were  a  threefold  being. 
Power  was  in  this  family,  power  of  frame  and  constitution, 
with  vital  spirit  in  abundance ;  power  of  will,  power  of  mind, 
and  a  good  power  of  heart.  Their  will  was  good  toward 
mankind. 

[225] 


They  had  floods  to  surmount  and  many  a  howling  tempest 
to  out-endure.  By  and  large  they  did  well  with  life,  —  very 
well.  There  was  alloy,  base  metal  of  course,  even  in  the 
greatest  of  the  three.  They  were  still  men.  But  they  were 
such  men  as  Nature  might  put  forward  among  her  goodly 
fruit. 

The  Viceroy  lay  still  in  his  bed,  for  each  time  he  would 
rise  came  faintness  and  old  fatigue.  The  Adelantado  acted. 

There  was  storm  in  Hispaniola,  storm  of  human  passions. 
I  found  Luis  Torres,  and  he  put  me  within  leg-stride  of  the 
present. 

Margarite !  It  seemed  to  begin  with  Don  Pedro  Marga- 
rite. 

He  and  his  men  had  early  made  choice  between  the 
rich,  the  fruitful,  easy  Vega  and  the  mountains  they  were 
to  pierce  for  gold  and  hunt  over  for  a  fierce  mountain 
chief.  In  the  Vega  they  established  themselves.  The  In 
dians  brought  them  "  tribute  ",  and  they  exacted  over-tribute, 
and  reviled  and  slew  when  it  pleased  them,  and  they  took 
the  Indian  women,  and  if  it  pleased  them  they  burned  a 
village.  "  Sorry  tale,"  said  Luis.  "  Old,  sorry  tale !  " 

Indians  came  to  Isabella  and  with  fierce  gesture  and  eyes 
that  cast  lances  talked  to  Don  Diego.  Don  Diego  sent  a 
stern  letter  to  Don  Pedro  Margarite.  Don  Pedro  answered 
that  he  was  doing  soldier's  duty,  as  the  Sovereigns  would 
understand  when  it  came  before  them.  Don  Diego  sent 
again,  summoning  him  upon  his  allegiance  to  Isabella.  He 
chose  for  a  month  no  answer  to  that  at  all,  and  the  breezes 
still  brought  from  the  Vega  cries  of  anger,  wails  of  sorrow. 
Then  he  appeared  suddenly  in  Isabella. 

Don  Diego  would  have  arrested  him  and  laid  him  in  prison 
to  await  the  Admiral's  return.  But  with  suddenness,  that 
was  of  truth  no  suddenness,  Margarite  had  with  him  three 
out  of  four  of  our  hidalgos,  and  more  than  that,  our  Apos 
tolic  Vicar  of  the  Indies  !  Don  Diego  must  bend  aside,  speak 
him  fair,  remonstrate,  not  command.  The  Viceroy  of  the 
Indies  and  Admiral  of  Ocean-Sea?  Dead  probably!  —  and 

[226] 


what  were  these  Colombos  ?  Italian  wool-combers !  But  here 
stood  hidalgos  of  Spain !  —  "  Old  story,"  said  Luis  Torres. 
"  Many  times,  many  places,  man  being  one  in  imperfection." 

A  choppy  sea  had  followed  Margarite's  return.  Up  and 
down,  to  and  fro,  and  one  day  it  might  seem  Margarite  was 
in  control,  and  the  next,  Don  Diego,  but  with  Margarite's 
wave  racing  up  behind.  Then  appeared  three  ships  with  men 
and  supplies  and  Don  Bartholomew!  Margarite  saw  Don 
Diego  strengthened.  He  was  bold  enough,  Margarite!  On 
a  dark  night,  at  eve,  there  were  so  many  ships  before  Isa 
bella  but  when  morn  broke  they  were  fewer  by  two.  Marga 
rite  and  the  Apostolic  Vicar  and  a  hundred  disaffected  were 
departed  the  Indies !  "  Have  they  gotten  to  Spain  ?  And 
what  do  they  say?  God,  He  knoweth!  —  There  have  been 
great  men  and  they  have  been  stung  to  death." 

"  Ay,  ay,  the  old  story ! "  I  said,  and  would  learn  about 
the  pacification  of  the  Indians. 

"  Why,  they  are  not  pacified,"  answered  Luis.  "  Worse 
follows  worse.  Pedro  Margarite  left  two  bands  in  the 
Vega,  and  from  all  I  hear  they  turned  devils.  It  looked  like 
peace  itself,  didn't  it,  this  great,  fair,  new  land,  when  first 
we  stepped  upon  it,  and  raised  the  banner  and  then  the  cross  ? 
It's  that  no  longer.  They're  up,  the  Indians,  Caonabo  and 
three  main  caciques,  and  all  the  lesser  ones  under  these.  In 
short,  we  are  at  war,"  ended  Luis.  "Alonso  de  Ojeda  at 
the  moment  is  the  Cid.  He  maneuvers  now  in  the  Vega." 

I  looked  around.  We  were  sitting  under  palm  trees,  by 
the  mud  wall  of  our  town.  Beyond  the  forest  waved  in  the 
wind,  and  soft  white  clouds  sailed  over  it  in  a  sky  of  essen 
tial  sapphire.  "  There's  an  aspect  here  of  peace !  " 

"  That  is  because  Guacanagari,  from  his  new  town,  holds 
his  people  still.  For  that  Indian  the  scent  of  godship  has 
not  yet  departed !  He  sees  the  Admiral  always  as  a  silver- 
haired  hero  bringing  warmth  and  light.  He  is  like  a  dog 
for  fidelity !  —  But  I  saw  three  Indians  from  outside  his 
country  curse  him  in  the  name  of  all  the  other  tribes,  with  a 
kind  of  magical  ceremony.  Is  he  right,  or  is  he  wrong, 

[227] 


Juan  Lepe?     Or  is  he  neither  the  one  nor  the  other,  but 
Something  moves  him  from  above  ?  " 

"  Have  you  never  seen  again  the  butio,  Guarin  ?  " 

"  No." 

We  sat  and  looked  at  the  rich  forest,  and  at  that  strange, 
rude,  small  town  called  Isabella,  and  at  the  blue  harbor  with 
the  ships,  and  the  blue,  blue  sea  beyond.  Over  us  —  what 
is  over  us?  Something  seemed  to  come  from  it,  stealing 
down  the  stair  to  us! 

The  fourth  day  after  his  return,  Don  Francisco  de  Las 
Casas,  Don  Juan  Ponce  de  Leon,  and  others  told  to  the 
Viceroy,  lying  upon  his  bed  in  his  house,  much  what  Luis 
Torres  told  Juan  Lepe.  "  Sirs/'  he  said,  when  they  had 
done,  "  here  is  my  brother,  Don  Bartholomew,  who  will  take 
order.  He  is  as  myself.  For  Christopherus  Columbus,  he 
is  ill,  and  must  be  ill  awhile." 

The  sixth  day  came  Guacanagari,  and  sat  in  the  room  and 
talked  sorrowfully.  Caonabo,  Gwarionex,  Behechio,  Cotu- 
banama,  said,  "  Were  these  or  were  these  not  gods,  yet  would 
they  fight!" 

The  Admiral  said,  "The  Future  is  the  god.  But  there 
are  burrs  on  his  skirt !  " 

Guacanagari  at  last  would  depart.  He  stood  beside  the 
bed  and  the  silver-haired  great  cacique  from  heaven.  The 
Admiral  put  forth  a  lean,  knotted,  powerful  hand  and  laid 
it  on  the  brown,  slim,  untoiled  hand.  "  I  wish  peace,"  he 
said.  "  My  brother  Bartholomew  and  I  will  do  what  we 
can  do  to  gain  it.  Good  peace,  true  peace !  " 

Without  the  room,  I  asked  the  cacique  about  Guarin.  He 
was  gone,  he  said,  to  the  mountains.  He  would  not  stay 
with  Guacanagari,  and  he  would  not  go  to  Caonabo  or 
Gwarionex.  "  All  old  things  and  ways  are  broken,"  said 
Guacanagari.  "  All  our  life  is  broken.  I  do  not  know  what 
we  have  done.  The  women  sit  and  weep.  And  I,  too,  some 
times  I  weep !  " 

The  seventh  day  came  in  Alonso  de  Ojeda  from  St. 
Thomas. 

[228] 


The  Viceroy  and  the  Adelantado  and  Ojeda  talked  alone 
together  in  the  Viceroy's  house.  But  next  day  was  held  a 
great  council,  all  our  principal  men  attending.  There  it 
was  determined  to  capture,  if  possible,  Caonabo,  withdrawing 
him  so  from  the  confederacy.  The  confederacy  might  then 
go  to  pieces.  In  the  meantime  use  every  effort  to  detach 
from  it  Gwarionex  who  after  Guacanagari  was  our  nearest 
great  cacique.  Send  a  well-guarded,  placating  embassy  to 
him  and  to  Cotubanama.  Try  kindness,  kindness  every 
where,  kind  words  and  good  deeds !  —  And  build  another 
fort  called  Fort  Concepcion. 

Take  Caonabo!  That,  was  a  task  for  Alonso  de  Ojeda! 
He  did  it.  Five  days  after  the  council,  the  Viceroy  being 
now  recovered  and  bringing  strength  to  work  that  needed 
strength,  the  Adelantado  vigorously  helping,  Isabella  in  a 
good  mood,  the  immediate  forest  all  a  gold  and  green  peace- 
fulness,  Don  Alonso  vanished,  and  with  him  fourteen  picked 
men,  all  mounted. 

For  six  weeks  it  was  as  though  he  had  dropped  into  the 
sea,  or  risen  into  the  blue  sky  above  eyesight. 

Then  on  a  Sunday  he  and  his  fourteen  rode  into  town. 
We  had  a  great  church  bell  and  it  was  ringing,  loudly,  sonor- 
ously.  He  rode  in  and  at  once  there  arose  a  shout,  "  Don 
Alonso  de  Ojeda !  "  All  his  horsemen  rode  with  him,  and 
rode  also  one  who  was  not  Castilian.  On  a  gray  steed  a 
bare,  bronze  figure  —  Caonabo! 

The  church  bell  swung,  the  church  bell  rang.  Riding 
beneath  the  squat  tower,  all  our  people  pouring  forth  from 
our  poor  houses  upon  the  returned  and  his  captive,  the 
latter  had  eyes,  it  seemed  to  me,  but  for  that  bell.  A 
curious,  sardonic  look  of  recognition,  appraisal,  relinquish- 
ment,  sat  in  the  Indian's  face.  From  wrist  to  wrist  of  Cao 
nabo  went  a  bright,  short  chain.  The  sun  glittered  upon  the 
bracelets  and  the  links.  I  do  not  know  —  there  was  for  a 
moment  —  something  in  the  sound  of  the  bell,  something 
in  the  gleam  of  the  manacles,  that  sent  out  faint  pity  and 
horror  and  choking  laughter. 

[229] 


All  to  the  Viceroy's  house,  and  Don  Alonso  sitting  with 
Christopherus  Columbus,  and  Caonabo  brought  to  stand  be 
fore  them.  Indians  make  much  of  indifferent  behavior,  taunt 
ing  calm,  when  taken.  It  is  a  point  of  honor,  meeting  death 
so,  even  when,  as  often  befalls,  their  death  is  a  slow  and  hard 
one.  Among  themselves,  in  their  wars,  it  is  either  death 
or  quick  adoption  into  the  victor's  tribe.  They  have  no 
gaols  nor  herds  of  slaves.  Caonabo  expected  death.  He 
stood,  a  strong,  contemptuous  figure.  But  the  Viceroy 
meant  to  send  him  to  Spain  —  trophy  and  show,  and  to  be 
made,  if  it  could  be,  Christian. 


[230] 


CHAPTER  XXXIII 

IT  did  not  end  the  war.  For  a  fortnight  we  thought  that 
it  had  done  so.  Then  came  loud  tidings.  Caonabo's 
wife,  Anacaona,  had  put  on  the  lioness.  With  her  was 
Caonabo's  brother  Manicoatex  and  her  own  brother  Behe- 
chio,  cacique  of  Xaragua.  There  was  a  new  confederacy, 
Gwarionex  again  was  with  it.  Only  Guacanagari  remained. 
Don  Alonso  marched,  and  the  Adelantado  marched. 

At  dawn  one  morning,  four  sails.  We  all  poured  forth 
to  watch  them  grow  bigger  and  yet  bigger.  Four  ships  from 
Cadiz,  Antonio  de  Torres  commanding,  and  with  him  col 
onists  of  the  right  Jkind,  mechanics  and  husbandmen. 

Many  proposals,  much  of  order,  came  with  Torres.  The 
Admiral  had  gracious  letters  from  the  Queen,  letters  some 
what  cooler  from  King  Ferdinand,  a  dry,  dry  letter  from 
Fonseca.  Moreover  Torres  brought  a  general  letter  to  all 
colonists  in  Hispaniola.  The  moral  of  which  was,  Trust 
and  Obey  the  Viceroy  of  the  Indies,  the  Admiral  of  the 
Ocean-Sea ! 

"  Excellent  good !  "  said  Luis  Torres.  "  Don  Pedro  Mar- 
garite  and  the  Apostolic  Vicar  had  not  reached  Cadiz  when 
Don  Antonio  sailed !  " 

The  Admiral  talked  with  me  that  night.  Gout  again  crip 
pled  him.  He  lay  helpless,  now  and  then  in  much  pain. 
"  I  should  go  home  with  Antonio  de  Torres,  but  I  cannot  I " 

"You  are  not  very  fit  to  go." 

"  I  do  not  mean  my  body.  My  will  could  drag  that  on 
ship.  But  I  cannot  leave  Hispaniola  while  goes  on  formal 
war.  But  see  you,  Doctor,  what  a  great  thing  their  Majesties 

[231] 


plan  for,  and  what  courtesy  and  respect  they  show  me !    See 
how  the  Queen  writes !  " 

I  knew  that  it  was  balm  and  wine  to  him,  how  she  wrote. 
The  matter  in  question  was  nothing  more  or  less  than  an 
amicable  great  meeting  between  the  two  sovereigns  and  the 
King  of  Portugal,  the  wisest  subjects  of  both  attending. 
A  line  was  to  be  drawn  from  top  to  bottom  of  Ocean-Sea, 
and  Portugal  might  discover  to  the  east  of  it,  and  Spain  to 
the  west!  The  Holy  Father  would  confirm,  and  so  the 
mighty  spoil  be  justly  divided.  Every  great  geographer 
should  come  into  counsel.  The  greatest  of  them  all,  the 
Discoverer,  surely  so  !  The  Queen  urged  the  Admiral's  pres 
ence. 

But  he  could  not  go.  Sense  of  duty  to  his  Viceroyship 
held  him  as  with  chains.  Then  Bartholomew?  But  Bar 
tholomew  was  greatly  needed  for  the  war.  He  sent  Don 
Diego,  a  gentle,  able  man  who  longed  for  a  cloister  and  a  few 
hundred  monks,  fatherly,  admirably,  to  rule. 

Antonio  de  Torres  stayed  few  weeks  in  Hispaniola.  The 
Viceroy  and  Admiral  would  have  his  letter  in  the  royal 
hands.  Torres  took  that  and  took  gold  and  strange  plants, 
and  also  six  hundred  Indian  captives  to  be  sold  for  slaves. 

War  went  on  in  Hispaniola,  but  not  for  long.  We  had 
horses  and  bloodhounds  and  men  in  armor,  trained  in  the 
long  Moorish  strife.  There  was  a  battle  in  the  Vega  that 
ended  as  it  must  end. 

Behechio  and  Anacaona  fled  to  the  high  mountains.  Mani- 
coatex  and  Gwarionex  sued  for  peace.  It  was  granted,  but 
a  great  tribute  was  imposed.  Now  all  Hayti  must  gather 
gold  for  Spain. 

Now  began,  a  little  to-day  and  a  little  to-morrow,  long 
woe  for  Hayti!  It  was  the  general  way  of  our  Age.  But 
our  Age  sinned. 

The  year  wheeled  to  October.  Juan  Aguado  came  with 
four  caravels  to  Isabella,  and  he  brought  letters  of  a  differ 
ent  tenor  from  those  that  Torres  brought.  We  heard  in 
them  the  voice  of  Margarite  and  the  Apostolic  Vicar. 

[232] 


But  now  the  Admiral  was  well  again,  the  Indians  de 
feated,  Hispaniola  basking  in  what  we  blithely  called  peace. 
Aguado  came  to  examine  and  interrogate.  He  had  his  let 
ters.  "  Cavaliers,  esquires  and  others,  you  are  to  give  Don 
Juan  Aguado  faith  and  credit.  He  is  with  you  on  our  part 
to  look  into  —  " 

Aguado  looked  with  a  hostile  eye  toward  Viceroy  and 
Adelantado.  Where  was  a  malcontent  he  came  secretly  if 
might  be,  if  not  openly,  to  Aguado.  Whoever  had  a  grudge 
came;  whoever  thought  he  had  true  injury.  Every  one  who 
disliked  Italians,  fire-new  nobles,  sea  captains  dubbed  Ad 
mirals  and  Viceroys  came.  Every  one  who  had  been  re 
strained  from  greed,  lust  and  violence  came.  Those  who 
held  an  honest  doubt  as  to  some  one  policy,  or  act,  ques 
tioned,  found  their  mere  doubt  become  in  Aguado's  mind 
damning  certainty.  And  so  many  good  Spaniards  dead  in 
war,  and  so  many  of  pestilence,  and  such  thinness,  melan 
choly,  poverty  in  Isabella !  And  where  was  the  gold  ?  And 
was  this  rich  Asia  of  the  spices,  the  elephants,  the  beautiful 
thin  cloths  and  the  jewels?  The  friends  of  Christopherus 
Columbus  had  their  say  also,  but  suddenly  there  arose  all 
•  the  enemies. 

"  When  he  sails  home,  I  will  sail  with  him !  "  said  the  Ad- 
1   miral.     "  My  name  is  hurt,  the  truth  is  wounded !  " 

In  the  third  week  of  Aguado's  visit,  arose  out  of  far 
j  ocean  and  rushed  upon  us  one  of  those  immense  tempests 
;  that  we  call  here  "  hurricane ".  Not  a  few  had  we  seen 
since  1492,  but  none  so  great,  so  terrible  as  this  one.  Eight 
I  ships  rode  in  the  harbor  and  six  were  sunk.  Aguado's  four 
|  caravels  and  two  others.  Many  seamen  drowned;  some  got 
'•  ashore  half-dead. 

"  How  will  I  get  away  ?    I  must  to  Spain !  "  cried  Aguado 
The  Admiral  said,  "  There  is  the  Nina." 
I      The  Nina  must  be  made  seaworthy,  and  in  the  end  we 
I  built  a  smaller  ship  still  which  we  called  the  Santa  Cruz. 
Aguado   waited,    fretting.      Christopherus    Columbus   kept 
toward  him  a  great,  calm  courtesy. 

[233] 


149Q 


It  was  at  this  moment  that  Don  Bartholomew  found, 
through  Miguel  Diaz,  the  mines  of  Hayna,  that  was  a  great 
river  in  a  very  rich  country.  The  Adelantado  brought  to 
Isabella  ore  in  baskets.  Pablo  Belvis,  our  new  essayer, 
pronounced  it  true  and  most  rich.  Brought  in  smaller  meas 
ures  were  golden  grains,  knobs  as  large  as  filberts,  golden 
collars  and  arm  rings  from  the  Indians  of  Bonao  where 
flowed  the  Hayna. 

"Ophir!"  said  the  Admiral.  "Mayhap  it  is  Ophir! 
Then  have  we  passed  somewhere  the  Gulf  of  Persia  and 
Trapoban !  " 

With  that  gold  he  sailed,  he  and  Aguado  and  two  small 
crowded  ships.  With  him  he  carried  Caonabo.  It  was  early 
March  in  1496. 

But  Juan  Lepe  stayed  in  Hispaniola,  greatly  commended 
by  the  Admiral  to  the  Adelantado.  A  man  might  attach 
himself  to  the  younger  as  well  as  the  elder  of  these  brothers. 
Don  Bartholomew  had  great  qualities.  But  he  hardly 
dreamed  as  did  Christopherus  Columbus.  I  loved  the  latter 
most  for  that  —  for  his  dreams. 

Days  and  days  and  days!  We  sought  for  gold  in  the 
Hayna  country  and  found  a  fair  amount.  And  all  Hayti 
now,  each  Indian  cacique  and  his  country,  must  gather  for 
us.  Must,  not  may.  We  built  the  fortress  of  San  Cristo- 
val,  and  at  last,  to  be  nearer  the  gold  than  was  Isabella, 
the  Adelantado  founded  the  city  of  San  Domingo,  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Ozema,  in  the  Xaragua  country.  Spaniards 
in  Hispaniola  now  lived,  so  many  in  Isabella,  so  many  in 
San  Domingo,  and  garrisons  in  the  forts  of  St.  Thomas, 
Concepcion,  and  San  Cristoval. 

Weeks  —  months.  July,  and  Pedro  Alonzo  Nino  with 
three  caravels  filled  with  strong  new  men  and  with  pro 
visions.  How  always  we  welcomed  these  incoming  ships 
and  the  throng  they  brought  that  stood  and  listened  and 
thought  at  first,  after  the  sea  tossing  and  crowding,  that 
they  were  come  to  heaven !  And  Pedro  Nino  had  left  Cadiz 
in  June,  three  days  after  the  arrival  there  of  the  Nina  and 

[234] 


the  Santa  Cruz.  "  June !  They  had  then  a  long  voyage !  " 
— "  Long  enough !  They  looked  like  skeletons !  If  the 
Admiral's  hair  could  get  whiter,  it  was  whiter." 

He  had  letters  for  the  Adelantado  from  the  great  brother, 
having  waited  in  Cadiz  while  they  were  written. 

Juan  Lepe  had  likewise  a  letter.  "  I  was  in  the  Nina, 
Don  Juan  de  Aguado  in  the  Santa  Cruz.  We  met  at  once 
head  winds  that  continued.  At  first  I  made  east,  but  at  last 
of  necessity  somewhat  to  the  southward.  We  saw  Mariga- 
lante  again  and  Guadaloupe,  and  making  for  this  last,  an 
chored  and  went  ashore,  for  the  great  relief  of  all,  and  for 
water  and  provision.  Here  we  met  Amazons,  wearing  plumes 
and  handling  mightily  their  bows  and  arrows.  After  them 
came  a  host  of  men.  Our  cannon  and  arquebuses  put  them 
to  flight  but  three  of  our  sailors  were  wounded.  Certain  pris 
oners  we  took  and  bound  upon  the  ships.  In  the  village 
that  we  entered  we  found  honey  and  wax.  They  are  Canni 
bals;  they  eat  men.  After  four  days  we  set  sail,  but  met 
again  tempest  and  head  winds,  checking  us  so  that  for 
weeks  we  but  crept  and  crawled  over  ocean.  At  last  we 
must  give  small  doles  of  bread  and  water.  There  grew 
famine,  sickness  and  misery.  I  and  all  may  endure  these 
when  great  things  are  about.  But  they  blame  me.  O  God, 
who  wills  that  the  Unknown  become  the  Known,  I  betake 
myself  to  Thy  court!  Famine  increased.  There  are  those, 
but  I  will  not  name  them,  who  cried  that  we  must  kill  the 
Indians  with  us  and  eat  them  that  we  might  live.  I  stood 
and  said,  '  Let  the  Cannibals  stand  with  the  Cannibals ! ' 
But  no  man  budged.  —  I  will  not  weary  thee,  best  doctor, 
with  our  woes!  At  last  St.  Vincent  rose  out  of  sea,  and 
we  presently  came  to  Cadiz.  Many  died  upon  the  voyage, 
and  among  them  Caonabo.  In  the  harbor  here  we  find 
Pedro  Alonzo  Nino  who  will  bear  my  letters. 

"  In  Cadiz  I  discover  both  friends  and  not  friends.  The 
sovereigns  are  at  Burgos,  and  thither  I  travel.  My  fortunes 
are  at  ebb,  yet  will  the  flood  come  again ! " 

Time  passed.  Hispaniola  heard  again  from,  hjtu  and 
[235] 


again.  When  ships  put  forth  from  Cadiz  —  and  now  ships 
passed  with  sufficient  regularity  between  Spain  in  Europe 
and  Spanish  Land  across  Ocean-Sea  —  he  wrote  by  them. 
He  believed  in  the  letter.  God  only  knows  how  many  he 
wrote  in  his  lifetime!  It  was  ease  to  him  to  tell  out,  to 
dream  visibly,  to  argue  his  case  on  fair  paper.  And  those 
who  came  in  the  ships  had  stories  about  him  —  El  Almi- 
rante ! 

Were  his  fortunes  at  ebb,  or  were  they  still  in  flood? 
There  might  be  more  views  here  than  one.  Some  put  in 
that  he  was  done  for,  others  clamored  that  he  was  yet 
mounting. 

But  he  wrote  to  the  Adelantado  and  also  to  Juan  Lepe 
that  he  sat  between  good  and  bad  at  court.  The  Queen 
was  ever  the  great  head  of  the  good.  We  knew  from  him 
that  Pedro  Margarite  and  Father  Buil  and  Juan  Aguado 
altered  nothing  there.  But  elsewhere  now  there  were  warm 
winds,  and  now  biting  cold.  And  warm  and  cold,  he  could 
not  get  the  winds  that  should  fill  his  sails.  He  begged  for 
ships  —  eight  he  named — that  he  might  now  find  for  the 
sovereigns  main  Asia  —  not  touch  here  and  there  upon  Cuba 
shore,  but  find  the  Deep  All.  But  forever  promised,  he  was 
forever  kept  from  the  ships !  True  it  was  that  the  sover 
eigns  and  the  world  beside  were  busy  folk!  There  were 
Royal  Marriages  and  Naples  to  be  reconquered  for  its  king. 

We  heard  of  confirmations  of  all  his  dignities  and  his 
tithes  of  wealth.  He  was  offered  to  be  made  Marquess, 
but  that  he  would  not  have.  "  The  Admiral "  was  better 
title.  But  he  sued  for  and  obtained  entail  upon  his  sons 
and  their  sons  forever  of  his  nobility  and  his  great  Estate 
in  the  West.  "  Thus,"  he  wrote,  "  have  I  made  your  for 
tunes,  sons  and  brothers!  But  truly  not  without  you  and 
your  love  and  strengthening  could  I  have  made  aught!  A 
brother  indeed  for  my  left  hand  and  my  right  hand,  and  to 
beckon  me  on,  two  dear  sons !  " 


[236] 


CHAPTER  XXXIV 

TWO  years !  It  was  March,  1496,  when  he  sailed  in  the 
Nina.  It  was  the  summer  of  1498  when  Juan  Lepe 
was  sent  as  physician  with  two  ships  put  forth  from 
San  Domingo  by  the  Adelantado  upon  a  rumor  that  the 
Portuguese  had  trespassed,  landing  from  a  great  carrack 
upon  Guadaloupe.  Five  days  from  Hispaniola  we  met  a 
hurricane  that  carried  us  out  of  all  reckoning.  When  still 
ness  came  again  we  were  far  south.  No  islands  were  in 
sight;  there  was  only  the  sea  vast  and  blue.  There  seemed 
to  breathe  from  it  a  strangeness.  We  were  away  and  away, 
said  our  pilots,  from  the  curve,  like  a  bent  bow,  of  the  In 
dian  islands.  A  day  and  a  night  we  hung  in  a  dead  calm. 
Dawn  broke.  "Sail,  ho!  Sail,  ho!" 

We  thought  that  it  might  be  the  Portuguese  and  made 
preparation.  Three  ships  lifted  over  the  blue  rim.  There 
was  now  a  light  wind;  it  brought  them  nearer,  they  being 
better  sailers  than  the  Santa  Cruz  and  the  Santa  Clara.  We 
saw  the  banner.  "  Castile !  "  and  a  lesser  one.  "  El  Almi- 
rante!" 

Now  we  were  close  together.  The  masters  hailed,  "  What 
ships?"  — "From  Hispaniola !"  — "  From  Cadiz.  The 
Admiral  with  us !  Come  aboard,  your  commander !  " 

That  was  Luis  Mendez,  and  in  the  boat  with  him  went 
Juan  Lepe.  The  ships  were  the  Esperanza,  the  San  Sebastian 
and  the  San  Martin,  the  first  fairly  large  and  well  decked, 
the  others  small.  They  who  looked  overside  and  shouted 
welcome  seemed  a  medley  of  gentle  and  simple,  mariners, 
husbandmen,  fighting  men  and  hidalgos. 

[237] 


The  Admiral!  His  hair  was  milk-white,  his  tall,  broad 
frame  gaunt  as  a  January  wolf.  Two  years  had  written  in 
his  face  two  years'  experience  —  fully  written,  for  he  was 
sensitive  to  every  wind  of  experience.  "  Excellency !  "  — 
"  Juan  Lepe,  I  am  as  glad  of  you  as  of  a  brother !  —  And 
what  do  you  do,  Senors,  here?" 

Luis  Mendez  related.  "  I  think  it  false  news  about  the 
Portuguese,"  said  the  Admiral  and  gave  reasons  why.  "  Then 
shall  we  keep  with  you,  sir  ?  " 

"  No,  since  you  are  sent  out  by  my  brother  and  must  give 
him  account.  Have  you  water  to  spare  ?  We  will  take  that 
from  you.  I  am  bound  still  south.  I  will  find  out  what  is 
there!" 

Further  talk  disclosed  that  he  had  left  Spain  with  six 
ships,  but  at  the  Canaries  had  parted  his  fleet  in  two,  send 
ing  three  under  Alonzo  de  Caravajal  upon  the  straight 
course  to  Hispaniola,  and  himself  with  three  sailing  first  to 
the  Green  Cape  islands,  and  thence  southwest  into  an  un 
known  sea. 

So  desolate,  wide  and  blue  it  looked  when  the  next  day  we 
parted,  —  two  ships  northward,  three  southward !  But  Juan 
Lepe  stayed  with  the  Esperanza  and  the  Admiral.  As  long 
since,  between  the  Santa  Maria  and  the  Pinta,  there  had  been 
exchange  of  physicians,  so  now  again  was  exchange  between 
the  Santa  Cruz  and  the  Esperanza. 

Days  of  blue  sea.  The  Esperanza  carried  a  somewhat 
frank  and  friendly  crew  of  mariners  and  adventurers.  Now 
he  would  sail  south,  he  said,  until  he  was  under  the  Equa 
tor. 

Days  of  stark  blue  ocean.  Then  out  of  the  sea  to  the  south 
rose  a  point  of  land,  becoming  presently  three  points,  as  it 
were  three  peaks.  The  Admiral  stared.  I  saw  the  en 
thusiasm  rise  in  his  face.  "  Did  I  not  write  and  say  to  the 
Sovereigns  and  to  Rome  that  in  the  Name  of  the  Holy 
Trinity,  I  would  now  again  seek  out  and  find?  There! 
Look  you!  It  is  a  sign!  Trinidad  —  we  will  name  it 
Trinidad." 

[238] 


1492 


The  next  morning  we  came 'to  Trinidad,  and  the  palms 
trooped  to  the  water  edge,  and  we  saw  sparkling  streams, 
and  from  the  heights  above  the  sea  curls  of  smoke  from 
hidden  huts.  We  coasted,  seeking  anchorage,  and  at  last 
came  into  a  clear,  small  harbor,  and  landing,  rilled  our  water 
casks.  We  knew  the  country  was  inhabited  for  we  saw  the 
smokes,  but  no  canoes  came  about  us,  and  though  we  met 
with  footprints  upon  the  sand  the  men  who  made  them 
never  returned.  We  weighed  anchor  and  sailed  on  along  the 
southern  coast,  and  now  to  the  south  of  us,  across  not  many 
leagues  of  blue  water,  we  made  out  a  low  shore.  Its  ends 
were  lost  in  haze,  but  we  esteemed  it  an  island,  and  he 
named  it  Holy  Island.  It  was  not  island,  as  now  we  know ; 
but  we  did  mot  know  it  then.  How  dreamlike  is  all  our  find 
ing,  and  how  halfway  only  to  great  truths!  Cuba  we 
thought  was  the  continent,  and  the  shore  that  was  continent, 
we  called  "  island." 

Now  we  came  to  a  long  southward  running  tongue  of 
Trinidad.  Point  Arenal,  he  named  it.  A  corresponding 
tongue  of  that  low  Holy  Island  reached  out  toward  it,  and 
between  the  two  flowed  an  azure  strait.  Here,  off  Point 
Arenal,  the  three  ships  rested  at  anchor,  and  now  there 
came  to  us  from  Holy  Island  a  big  canoe,  rilled  with  In 
dians.  As  they  came  near  the  Esperanza  we  saw  that  they 
were  somewhat  lighter  in  hue  than  those  Indians  to  whom 
we  were  used.  Moreover  they  wore  bright-colored  loin 
cloths,  and  twists  of  white  or  colored  cotton  about  their 
heads,  like  slight  turbans,  and  they  carried  not  only  bows 
and  arrows  to  which  we  were  used,  but  round  bucklers  to 
which  we  were  not  used.  They  looked  at  us  in  amazement, 
but  they  were  ready  for  war. 

We  invited  them  with  every  gesture  of  amity,  holding 
out  glass  beads  and  hawk  bells,  but  they  would  not  come 
close  to  us.  As  they  hung  upon  the  blue  water  out  of  the 
shadow  of  the  ship,  the  Admiral  would  have  our  musicians 
begin  loudly  to  play.  But  when  the  drums  began,  the  fife 
and  the  castanets,  the  canoe  started,  quivered,  the  paddlers 

[239] 


1492 


dipped,  it  raced  back  to  that  shore  whence  it  came,  that  shore 
that  we  thought  island. 

"  Lighter  than  Haytiens!"  exclaimed  the  Admiral.  "I 
have  thought  that  as  we  neared  the  Equator  we  should  find 
them  black!" 

Afterwards  he  expanded  upon  this.  "  Jayme  Ferrer  thinks 
as  I  think,  that  the  nearer  we  come  to  the  Equator  the  more 
precious  grow  all  things,  the  more  gold,  the  more  diamonds., 
rubies  and  emeralds,  the  more  prodigal  and  delicious  the 
spices!  The  people  are  burnt  black,  but  they  grow  gentler 
and  more  wise,  and  under  the  line  they  are  makers  of  white 
magic.  I  have  not  told  you,  Juan  Lepe,  but  I  hold  that  now 
we  begin  to  come  to  where  our  Mother  Earth  herself  climbs, 
and  climbs  auspiciously !  " 

"That  we  come  to  great  mountains?" 

"  No,  not  that,  though  there  may  be  great  mountains.  But 
I  have  thought  it  out,  and  now  I  hold  that  the  earth  is  not 
an  orb,  but  is  shaped,  as  it  were,  like  a  pear.  It  would  take 
an  hour  to  give  you  all  the  reasons  that  decide  me!  But 
I  hold  that  from  hereabouts  it  mounts  fairer  and  fairer,  until 
under  the  line,  about  where  would  be  the  stem  of  the  pear, 
we  come  to  the  ancient  Earthly  Paradise,  the  old  Garden 
of  Eden!" 

I  looked  to  the  southward.  "  Certainly  there  is  nowhere 
where  there  is  not  something ! " 

He  gazed  over  the  truly  azure  and  beauteous  sea,  and 
the  air  blew  soft  and  cool  upon  our  foreheads,  and  the 
fragrance  which  came  to  us  from  land  seemed  new.  "  Would 
you  not  look  for  the  halcyons  ?  Trinidad !  Holy  Island ! 
We  approach,  I  hold,  the  Holy  Mountain  of  the  World. 
And  hark  to  me,  Juan  Lepe,  make  vow  that  if  it  be  per 
mitted  I  will  found  there  an  abbey  whence  shall  arise  per 
petual  orison  for  the  souls  of  our  first  parents ! " 

We  found  that  night  that  the  ships  swung,  caught  in  a 
current  issuing  from  the  strait  before  us.  In  the  morn 
ing  we  made  sail  and  prepared  to  pass  through  this  narrow 
way  between  the  two  lands,  seeing  open  water  beyond.  We 

[240] 


succeeded  by  great  skill  and  with  Providence  over  us,  for 
we  met  as  it  were  an  under  wall  of  water  ridged  atop  with 
strong  waves.  The  ships  were  tossed  as  by  a  tempest,  yet 
was  the  air  serene,  the  sky  blue.  We  came  hardly  through 
and  afterwards  called  that  strait  Mouth  of  the  Serpent. 
Now  we  were  in  a  great  bay  or  gulf,  and  still  the  sea  shook 
us  and  drove  us.  Calm  above,  around,  but  underneath  an 
agitation  of  waters,  strong  currents  and  boilings.  Among 
our  mariners  many  took  fright.  "  What  is  it  ?  Are  there 
witches  ?  We  are  in  a  cauldron !  " 

Christopherus  Columbus  himself  took  the  helm  of  the 
Esperanza.  Many  a  man  in  these  times  chose  to  doubt 
what  kind  of  Viceroy  he  made,  but  no  man  who  ever  sailed 
with  him  but  at  last  said,  "  Child  of  Neptune,  and  the 
greatest  seaman  we  have !  " 

We  outrode  danger  and  came  under  land  to  a  quiet  an 
chorage,  the  San  Sebastian  and  the  San  Martin  following 
us  as  the  chickens  the  hen.  Still  before  us  we  saw  that 
current  ridge  the  sea.  The  Admiral  stood  gazing  upon  the 
southward  shore  that  hung  in  a  dazzling  haze.  Now  we 
thought  water,  now  we  thought  land.  He  called  to  a  ship 
boy  and  the  lad  presently  brought  him  a  pannikin  of  water 
dipped  from  the  sea.  The  Admiral  tasted.  "  Fresh !  It  is 
almost  fresh ! " 

He  stood  with  a  kindling  face.  "  A  river  runs  into  sea 
from  this  land !  Surely  the  mightiest  that  may  be,  rushing 
forth  like  a  dragon  and  fighting  all  the  salt  water !  So  great 
a  river  could  not  come  from  an  island,  no,  not  if  it  were 
twice  as  large  as  Hispaniola !  Such  a  river  comes  downward 
with  force  hundreds  of  leagues  and  gathers  children  to  itself 
as  it  comes.  It  is  not  an  island  yonder ;  it  is  a  great  main !  " 

We  called  the  gulf  where  we  were  the  Gulf  of  the  Whale. 
Trinidad  stood  on  the  one  hand,  the  unknown  continent  on 
the  other.  After  rest  in  milky  water,  we  set  sail  to  cross 
the  width  of  the  Whale,  and  found  glass-green  and  shaken 
water,  but  never  so  piled  and  dangerous  as  at  the  Mouth  of 
the  Serpent.  So  we  came  to  that  land  that  must  be  —  we 

[241] 


knew  not  what !  It  hung  low,  in  gold  sunlight.  We  saw  no 
mountains,  but  it  was  covered  with  the  mightiest  forest. 

Anchoring  in  smooth  water,  we  took  out  boats  and  went 
ashore,  and  we  raised  a  cross.  "  As  in  Adam  we  all  die, 
so  in  Christ  we  be  alive ! "  said  the  Admiral,  and  then, 
"  What  grandeur  is  in  this  forest !  " 

In  truth  we  found  trees  that  we  had  not  found  in  our 
islands,  and  of  an  unbelievable  height  and  girth.  Upon  the 
boughs  sat  parrots,  and  we  were  used  to  them,  but  we  were 
not  used  to  monkeys  which  now  appeared,  to  our  mariners5 
delight.  We  met  footprints  of  some  great  animal,  and  pres 
ently,  being  beside  a  stream,  we  made  out  upon  a  mud  bank 
those  crocodiles  that  the  Indians  call  "  cayman."  And  never 
have  I  seen  so  many  and  such  splendid  butterflies.  All  this 
forest  seemed  to  us  of  a  vastness,  as  the  rivers  were  vast. 
There  rang  in  our  ears  "  New !  New !  " 

And  at  last  came  an  Indian  canoe — -two  —  three,  filled 
with  light-hued,  hardly  more  than  tawny,  folk,  with  cloth 
of  cotton  about  their  middles  and  twisted  around  their  heads, 
with  bows  and  arrows  and  those  new  bucklers.  But  seeing 
that  we  did  not  wish  to  fight,  they  did  not  wish  to  fight  either ; 
and  there  was  all  the  old  amaze. 

Gods  —  gods  —  gods!  We  sought  the  Earthly  Paradise, 
and  they  thought  we  came  therefrom. 

Paria.     We  made  out  that  they  called  their  country  Paria. 

They  had  in  their  canoes  a  bread  like  cassava,  but  more 
delicate,  we  thought,  and  in  calabashes  almost  a  true  wine. 
We  gave  them  toys,  and  as  they  always  pointed  westward 
and  seemed  to  signify  that  there  was  the  land,  we  returned 
after  two  hours  to  the  ships  and  set  ourselves  to  follow  the 
coast.  Two  or  three  of  this  people  would  go  with  the 
gods. 

We  came  to  that  river  mouth  that  troubled  all  this  sea. 
What  shall  I  say  but  that  it  was  itself  a  sea,  a  green  sea, 
a  fresh  sea?  We  crossed  it  with  long  labor.  The  men  of 
Paria  made  us  understand  that  their  season  of  rain  was 
lately  over,  and  that  ever  after  that  was  more  river.  Whence 

[242] 


did  it  come?  They  spoke  at  length  and,  Christopherus  Co 
lumbus  was  certain,  of  some  heavenly  country. 

The  dawn  came  up  sweet  and  red.  The  country  before  us 
had  hills  and  we  made  out  clearings  in  the  monster  forest, 
and  now  the  blue  water  was  thronged  with  canoes.  We 
anchored ;  they  shot  out  to  us  fearlessly.  The  Jamaica  canoe 
is  larger  and  better  than  the  Haytien,  but  those  of  this 
land  surpass  the  Jamaican.  They  are  long  and  wide  and 
have  in  the  middle  a  light  cabin.  The  rowers  chant  as  they 
lift  and  dip  their  broad  oars.  If  we  were  gods  to  them, 
yet  they  seemed  gay  and  fearless  of  the  gods.  I  thought 
with  the  Admiral  that  they  must  have  tradition  or  rumor, 
of  folk  higher  upon  the  mount  of  enlightenment  than  them 
selves.  Perhaps  now  and  again  there  was  contact.  At  any 
rate,  we  did  not  meet  here  the  stupefaction  and  the  prostra 
tions  of  our  first  islands.  We  had  again  no  common  tongue, 
but  they  proved  masters  of  gesture.  Gold  was  upon  them, 
and  that  in  some  amount,  and  what  was  extraordinary, 
often  enough  in  well- wrought  shapes  of  ornament.  A  sea 
man  brought  to  the  Admiral  a  golden  frog,  well-made, 
pierced  for  a  red  cotton  string,  worn  so  about  a  copper- 
colored  neck.  He  had  traded  for  it  three  hawk  bells.  The 
Admiral's  face  glowed.  "  It  has  been  wrought  by  those 
who  know  how  to  work  in  metals !  Tubal-cain !  " 

Moreover,  now  we  found  pearls.  There  came  to  us  sing 
ing  a  great  canoe  and  in  it  a  plumed  cacique  with  his  wife 
and  daughters.  All  wore  twists  of  pearls  around  throat 
and  arms.  They  gave  them  freely  for  red,  blue  and  green 
beads,  which  to  them-  were  indeed  rubies,  sapphires  and 
emeralds.  —  Whence  came  the  pearls?  It  seemed  from  the 
coast  beyond  and  without  this  gulf.  Whence  the  gold?  It 
seemed  from  high  mountains  far  behind  the  country  of 
Paria.  It  was  dangerous  in-  the  extreme  to  go  there! 
"  Because  of  the  light  which  repels  all  darkness ! "  said  the 
Admiral.  "  When  we  go  there,  it  must  be  gently  and  humbly 
like  shriven  men." 

It  was  August.  He  knew  that  Don  Bartholomew  in 
[243] 


149Q 


Hispaniola  craved  his  return.  The  three  ships,  too,  were 
weatherworn,  with  seams  that  threatened  gaping.  And  as 
for  our  adventurers  and  the  husbandmen  and  craftsmen, 
they  were  most  weary  of  the  sea.  The  mariners  were  used 
to  it,  the  Admiral  had  lover's  passion  for  it,  but  not  they! 
Here  before  us,  truly,  loomed  a  promising  great  land,  but 
it  was  not  our  port ;  our  port  was  San  Domingo !  There, 
there  in  Hispaniola,  were  old  Castilians  in  plenty  to  greet 
and  show.  There  were  the  mines  that  were  actually  work 
ing,  gold  to  pick  up,  and  Indians  trained  to  bring  it  to  you ! 
There,  for  the  enterprising  and  the  lucky,  were  gifts  of  land, 
to  each  his  repartimentio!  There  was  companionship,  there 
was  fortune,  there  was  ease!  Others  were  getting,  while 
we  rode  before  a  land  we  were  too  few  to  occupy.  They 
went  in  company  to  the  Admiral.  We  had  discovered.  Now 
let  us  go  on  to  Hispaniola !  The  ships  —  our  health. 

When  it  came  to  health  it  was  he  who  had  most  to  en 
dure. 

The  gout  possessed  him  often.  His  brow  knotted  with 
pain;  his  voice,  by  nature  measured  and  deep,  a  rolling 
music,  became  sharp  and  dry.  He  moved  with  difficulty, 
now  and  then  must  stay  in  bed,  or  if  on  deck  in  a  great 
chair  which  we  lashed  to  the  mast.  But  now  a  trouble  seized 
his  eyes.  They  gave  him  great  pain;  at  times  he  could 
barely  see.  Bathe  them  with  a  soothing  medicine,  rest  them. 
But  when  had  he  rested  them,  straining  over  the  ocean 
since  he  was  a  boy?  He  was  a  man  greatly  patient  under 
adversity,  whether  of  the  body  or  of  the  body's  circum 
stance,  but  this  trouble  with  the  eyes  shook  him.  "  If  I 
become  blind  —  and  all  that's  yet  to  do  and  find !  Blessed 
Mother  of  God,  let  not  that  happen  to  me ! " 

I  thought  that  he  should  go  to  Hispaniola,  where  in  the 
Adelantado's  house  in  San  Domingo  he  might  submit  to 
bandaging,  light  and  sea  shut  out. 

At  last,  "  Well,  well,  we  will  turn !  But  first  we  must 
leave  this  gulf  and  try  it  out  for  some  distance  westward !  " 

We  left  this  water  by  a  way  as  narrow  as  the  entering 
[244] 


149Q 


strait,  as  narrow  and  presenting  the  like  rough  confusion 
of  waters,  wall  against  wall.  We  called  it  the  Mouth  of 
the  Dragon.  Mouth  of  the  Dragon,  Mouth  of  the  Serpent, 
and  between  them  the  Gulf  of  the  Whale  or  of  Paria.  Now 
was  open  sea,  and  south  of  us  ran  still  that  coast  that  he 
would  have  mount  to  the  Equator  and  to  that  old,  first 
Garden  Land  where  all  things  yet  were  fair  and  precious! 
"  I  can  not  stay  now,  but  I  will  come  again !  I  will  find 
the  mighty  last  things !  "  His  eyes  gave  him  great  pain. 
He  covered  them,  then  dropped  his  hands  and  looked,  then 
must  again  cover. 

A  strange  thing!  We  were  borne  westward  ever  upon  a 
vast  current  of  the  sea,  taking  us  day  and  night,  so  that 
though  the  winds  were  light  we  went  as  though  every  sail 
was  wholly  filled. 

Christopherus  Columbus  talked  of  these  rivers  in  ocean. 
"  A  day  will  come  when  they  will  be  correctly  marked.  Aye, 
in  the  maps  of  our  descendants !  Then  ships  will  say,  '  Now 
here  is  the  river  so  and  so,'  as  to-day  the  horseman  says, 
*  Here  is  the  Tagus,  or  the  Guadalquiver ! ' " 

Another  thing  he  said  was  that  to  his  mind  all  the  islands 
that  we  had  found  in  six  years,  from  San  Salvador  to  Cuba- 
gua,  had  once  been  joined  together.  Land  from  this  shore 
to  Cuba  and  beyond.  So  the  peoples  were  scattered. 

He  talked  to  us  much  upon  this  voyage  of  the  great  earth 
and  the  shape  of  it,  and  its  destinies ;  of  the  stars,  the  needle, 
the  Great  Circle  and  the  lesser  ones,  and  the  Ocean.  He 
had  our  time's  learning,  gained  through  God  knows  how 
many  nights  of  book  by  candle!  And  he  had  a  mind  that 
took  eagle  flights  with  spread  of  eagle  wings,  and  in  many 
ways  he  had  the  eagle's  eye. 

It  was  not  Cipango  and  Cathay  that  now  he  talked  of, 
but  of  this  great  land-mass  before  us  which  he  would  have 
rise  to  Equator  and  all  Wonder.  And  he  talked  also  of  some 
water  passage,  some  strait  lying  to  the  westward,  by  which 
we  might  sail  between  lands  and  islands  to  the  further  In 
dian  Ocean,  and  so  across  to  the  Sea  of  Araby,  and  then 

[245] 


around  Africa  by  Good  Hope  and  then  northward,  north 
ward,  to  Spain,  coming  into  Cadiz  with  banners,  having 
sailed  around  the  world! 

He  talked,  and  all  the  time  his  pain  ate  him,  and  he  must 
cover  eyes  to  keep  the  sword-light  out. 

In  middle  August  we  turned  northward  from  our  New 
Land,  and  a  fortnight  later  we  came  to  San  Domingo,  that 
Christopherus  Columbus  had  never  seen,  though  to  us  in 
Hispaniola  it  was  an  old  town,  having  been  builded  above 
two  years. 

The  Viceroy  and  the  Adelantado  clasped  hands,  embraced ; 
tears  ran  down  their  bronzed  cheeks. 

Not  later  than  a  day  after  our  anchoring,  the  ships  being 
unladed,  all  San  Domingo  coming  and  going,  trumpets  blew 
and  gathered  all  to  our  open  place  before  the  Viceroy's 
house.  Proclamation  —  Viceregal  Proclamation !  First, 
thanks  to  God  for  safe  return,  and  second,  hearty  approval 
of  the  Adelantado,  all  his  Acts  and  Measures. 

There  were  two  parties  in  San  Domingo,  and  one  now 
echoed  in  a  shout  approval  of  the  Adelantado,  and  the  other 
made  here  a  dead  silence,  and  here  a  counter-murmur.  I 
heard  a  man  say,  "  Fool  praises  fool !  Villain  brother  up 
holding  villain  brother !  " 

Now  I  do  not  think  the  Adelantado's  every  act  was  wise, 
nor  the  Viceroy's  either,  for  that  matter.  But  they  were 
far,  far,  those  brothers,  from  fool  and  villain! 

The  Proclamation  arrived  at  long  thunders  against  Fran 
cisco  Roldan  his  sedition.  Here  again  the  place  divided  as 
before.  Roldan,  I  had  it  from  Luis  Torres,  was  in  Xara- 
gua,  safe  and  arrogant,  harking  on  Indian  war,  undermining 
everywhere.  Our  line  of  forts  held  for  the  Adelantado, 
but  the  two  or  three  hundred  Spaniards  left  in  Isabella 
were  openly  Roldan's  men.  The  Viceroy,  through  the  voice 
of  Miguel  the  Herald,  recited,  denounced  and  warned,  then 
left  Francisco  Roldan  and  with  suddenness  made  statement 
that  within  a  few  days  five  ships  would  sail  for  Spain,  and 
that  all  Spaniards  whomsoever,  who  for  reasons  whatsoever 

[246] 


desired  Home,  had  his  consent  to  go!  Consent,  Free  Pas 
sage,  and  No  Questioning ! 

Whereat  the  place  buzzed  loudly,  and  one  saw  that  many 
would  go. 

Many  did  go  upon  the  ships  that  sailed  not  in  a  few  days 
but  a  few  weeks.  Some  went  for  good  reasons,  but  many 
for  ill.  Juan  Lepe  heard  afar  and  ahead  of  time  the  great 
tide  of  talk  when  they  should  arrive  in  Spain !  And  though 
many  went  who  wished  the  Admiral  ill,  many  stayed,  and 
forever  Roldan  made  for  him  more  enemies,  open  or  secret. 

He  sent,  it  is  true,  upon  those  ships  friends  to  plead  his 
cause.  Don  Francisco  de  Las  Casas  went  to  Spain  and 
others  went.  And  he  sent  letters.  Juan  Lepe,  much  in  his 
house,  tending  him  who  needed  the  physician  Long-Rest 
and  Ease-of-Mind,  heard  these  letters  read.  There  was 
one  to  the  Sovereigns  in  which  he  related  with  simple  elo 
quence  that  discovery  to  the  South,  and  his  assurance  that 
he  had  touched  the  foot  of  the  Mount  of  all  the  World. 
With  this  letter  he  sent  a  hundred  pearls,  the  golden  frog 
and  other  gold.  Again  he  took  paper  and  wrote  of  the 
attitude  of  all  things  in  Hispaniola,  of  Roldan  and  evil 
men,  of  the  Adelantado's  vigilance,  justice  and  mercy,  of 
natural  difficulties  and  the  need  to  wait  on  time,  of  the 
Indians.  He  begged  that  there  be  sent  him  ample  supplies 
and  good  men,  and  withal  friars  for  the  Indian  salvation, 
and  some  learned,  wise  and  able  lawyer  and  judge,  much 
needed  to  give  the  law  upon  a  thousand  complaints  brought 
by  childish  and  factious  men.  And  if  the  Sovereigns  saw 
fit  to  send  out  some  just  and  lofty  mind  to  take  evidence 
from  all  as  to  their  servant  Christopherus  Columbus's  deeds 
and  public  acts  and  care  of  their  Majesties'  New  Lands 
and  all  the  souls  therein,  such  an  one  would  be  welcomed 
by  their  Graces*  true  servant. 

So  he  himself  asked  for  a  commissioner  —  but  he  never 
thought  of  such  an  one  as  Francisco  de  Bobadilla! 

So  the  ships  sailed.    Time  passed. 

[247] 


CHAPTER  XXXV 

UP  and  down  went  the  great  Roldan  scission.  Up  and 
down  went  Indian  revolt,  repression,  fresh  revolt, 
fresh  repression.  On  flowed  time.  Ships  came  in, 
one  bearing  Don  Diego ;  ships  went  out.  Time  passed. 
Alonso  de  Ojeda,  who  by  now  was  no  more  than  half  his 
friend,  returned  to  Spain  and  there  proposed  to  the  Sov 
ereigns  a  voyage  of  his  own  to  that  Southern  Continent 
that  never  had  the  Admiral  chance  to  return  to !  The  Sov 
ereigns  now  were  giving  such  consent  to  this  one  and  to  that 
one,  breaking  their  pact  with  Christopherus  Columbus.  In 
our  world  it  was  now  impossible  that  that  pact  should  be 
letter-kept,  but  the  Genoese  did  not  see  it  so.  Ojeda  sailed 
from  Cadiz  for  Paria  with  four  ships  and  a  concourse  of 
adventurers.  With  him  went  the  pilot  Juan  de  la  Cosa, 
and  a  geographer  of  Florence,  Messer  Amerigo  Vespucci. 

It  came  to  us  in  Hispaniola  that  Ojeda  was  gone.  Now 
I  saw  the  Admiral's  heart  begin  to  break.  Yet  Ojeda  in 
his  voyage  did  not  find  the  Earthly  Paradise,  only  went 
along  that  coast  as  we  had  done,  gathered  pearls,  and  re 
turned. 

Time  passed.  Other  wild  and  restless  adventurers  beside 
Roldan  broke  into  insurrections  less  than  Roldan's.  The 
Viceroy  hanged  Moxica  and  seven  with  him,  and  threw  into 
prison  Guevara  and  Requelme.  Roldan,  having  had  his  long 
fling  —  too  powerful  still  to  hang  or  to  chain  in  some  one 
of  our  forts  —  Roldan  wrote  and  received  permission,  and 
came  to  San  Domingo,  and  was  reconciled. 

Suddenly,  after  long  time  of  turmoil,  wild  adventure  and 
[248] 


uncertainty,  peace  descended.  Over  all  Hispaniola  the  In 
dians  submitted.  Henceforth  they  were  our  subjects;  let 
us  say  our  victims  and  our  slaves !  Quarrels  between  Castil- 
ians  died  over  night.  Miraculously  the  sky  cleared.  Mi 
raculously,  or  perhaps  because  of  long,  patient  steering 
through  storm.  For  three  months  we  lived  with  an  appear 
ance  of  blossoming  and  prospering.  It  seemed  that  it  might 
become  a  peaceful,  even  a  happy  island. 

The  Viceroy  grew  younger,  the  Adelantado  grew  younger, 
and  Don  Diego,  and  with  them  those  who  held  by  them 
through  thick  and  thin.  The  Admiral  began  to  talk  Dis 
covery.  It  was  two  years  since  there,  far  to  the  south,  we 
had  passed  in  by  the  Mouth  of  the  Serpent,  and  out  by  the 
Mouth  of  the  Dragon. 

The  Viceroy,  inspecting  the  now  quiet  Vega,  rode  to  an 
Indian  village,  near  Concepcion.  He  had  twenty  behind  him, 
well-armed,  but  arms  were  not  needed.  The  people  came 
about  him  with  an  eagerness,  a  docility.  They  told  their 
stories.  He  sat  his  horse  and  listened  with  a  benignant 
face.  Certain  harshnesses  in  times  and  amounts  of  their 
tribute  he  redressed.  Forever,  when  personal  appeal  came 
to  him,  he  proved  magnanimous,  often  tender,  fatherly  and 
brotherly.  At  a  distance  he  could  be  severe.  But  when  I 
think  of  the  cruelties  and  high-handedness  of  others  here, 
the  Adelantado  and  the  Viceroy  shine  mildly. 

We  rode  back  to  Concepcion.  I  remember  the  jewel-like 
air  that  day,  the  flowers,  the  trees,  the  sky.  Palms  rustled 
above  us,  the  brilliant  small  lizards  darted  around  silver 
trunks.  "The  fairest  day!"  quoth  the  Admiral.  "Ease 
at  heart !  I  feel  ease  at  heart." 

This  night,  as  I  sat  beside  him,  wiling  him  to  sleep,  for 
he  always  had  trouble  sleeping  —  a  most  wakeful  man!  — 
he  talked  to  me  about  the  Queen.  Toward  this  great  woman 
he  ever  showed  veneration,  piety,  and  knightly  regard.  Of 
all  in  Spain  she  it  was  who  best  understood  and  shared  that 
religious  part  in  him  that  breathed  upward,  inspired,  longed 

[249] 


149Q 


and  strained  toward  worlds  truly  not  on  the  earthly  map. 
She,  like  him  —  or  so  took  leave  to  think  Juan  Lepe  —  re 
ceived  at  times  too  docilely  word  of  authority,  or  that  which 
they  reckoned  to  be  authority.  Princes  of  the  Church  could 
bring  her  to  go  against  her  purer  thought.  The  world  as 
it  is,  dinging  ever,  "  So  important  is  wealth  —  so  important 
is  herald-nobility  —  so  important  is  father-care  in  these  re 
spects  for  sons !  "  could  make  him  take  a  tortuous  and  com 
plicated  way,  could  make  him  bow  and  cap,  could  make 
him  rule  with  an  ear  for  world's  advice  when  he  should 
have  had  only  his  book  and  his  ship  and  his  dream  and  a 
cheering  cry  "  Onward !  "  Or  so  thinks  Juan  Lepe.  But 
Juan  Lepe  and  all  wait  on  full  light. 

He  talked  of  her  great  nature,  and  her  goodness  to  him. 
Of  how  she  understood  when  the  King  would  not.  Of  how 
she  would  never  listen  to  his  enemies,  or  at  the  worst  not 
listen  long. 

He  turned  upon  his  bed  in  the  warm  Indian  night.  I 
asked  him  if  I  should  read  to  him  but  he  said,  not  yet.  He 
had  talked  since  the  days  of  his  first  seeking  with  many  a 
great  lord,  aye,  and  great  lady.  But  the  Queen  was  the 
one  of  them  all  who  understood  best  how  to  trust  a  man! 
Differences  in  mind  arose  within  us  all,  and  few  could  find 
the  firm  soul  behind  all  that !  She  could,  and  she  was  great 
because  she  could.  He  loved  to  talk  with  her.  Her  face 
lighted  when  he  came  in.  When  others  were  by  she  said 
"  Don  Cristoval ",  or  "  El  Almirante ",  but  with  himself 
alone  she  still  said  "  Master  Christopherus  "  as  in  the  old 
days. 

At  last  he  said,  "  Now,  let  us  read."  Each  time  he  came 
from  Spain  to  Hispaniola  he  brought  books.  And  when 
ships  came  in  there  would  be  a  packet  for  him.  I  read  to 
him  now  from  an  old  poet,  printed  in  Venice.  He  listened, 
then  at  last  he  slept.  I  put  out  the  candle,  stepped  softly 
forth  past  Gonsalvo  his  servant,  lying  without  door. 

An  hour  after  dawn  a  small  cavalcade  appeared  before 
the  fort  At  first  we  thought  it  was  the  Adelantado  from 

[250] 


Xaragua.  But  no!  it  was  Alonzo  de  Carvajal  with  news 
and  a  letter  from*  San  Domingo,  and  in  the  very  statement 
ran  a  thrilling  something  that  said,  "  Hark,  now !  I  am 
Fortune  that  turns  the  wheel." 

Carvajal  said,  "  Senor,  I  have  news  and  a  letter  for  your 
ear  and  eye  alone !  " 

"  From  my  brother  at  San  Domingo  ? " 

"  Aye,  and  from  another,"  said  Carvajal.  "  Two  ships 
have  come  in." 

With  that  the  Admiral  and  he  went  into  Commandant's 
house. 

The  men  at  Concepcion  made  Carvajal's  men  welcome. 
"And  what  is  it?"  "And  what  is  it?"  They  had  their 
orders  evidently,  but  much  wine  leaked  out  of  the  cask.  If 
one  wished  the  Viceroy  and  his  brothers  ill,  it  was  found 
to  be  heady  wine;  if  the  other  way  round,  it  seemed  thin, 
chilly  and  bitter.  Here  at  Concepcion  were  Admiral's  friends. 

After  an  hour  he  came  again  among  us,  behind  him  Car 
vajal. 

Now,  this  man,  Christopherus  Columbus,  always  appeared 
most  highly  and  nobly  Man,  most  everlasting  and  universal, 
in  great  personal  trouble  and  danger.  It  was,  I  hold,  be 
cause  nothing  was  to  him  smally  personal,  but  always  per 
tained  to  great  masses,  to  worlds  and  to  ages.  Now,  look 
ing  at  him,  I  knew  that  trouble  and  danger  had  arrived.  He 
said  very  little.  If  I  remember,  it  was,  "  My  friends,  the 
Sovereigns  whom  we  trust  and  obey,  have  sent  a  Commis 
sioner,  Don  Francisco  de  Bobadilla,  whom  we  must  go 
meet.  We  ride  from  Concepcion  at  once  to  Bonao." 

We  rode,  his  company  and  Carvajal's  company. 

Don  Francisco  de  Bobadilla!  Jayme  de  Marchena  had 
some  association  here.  It  disentangled  itself,  came  at  last 
clear.  A  Commander  of  the  Order  of  Calatrava —  about 
the  King  in  some  capacity  —  able  and  honest,  men  said. 
Able  and  honest,  Jayme  de  Marchena  had  heard  said,  but 
also  a  passionate  man,  and  a  vindictive,  and  with  vanity 
enough  for  a  legion  of  peacocks. 

[251] 


We  came  to  Bonao  and  rested  here.  I  had  a  word  that 
night  from  the  Admiral.  "  Doctor,  Doctor,  a  man  must 
outlook  storm !  He  grew  man  by  that." 

I  asked  if  I  might  know  what  was  the  matter. 

He  answered,  "  I  do  not  know  myself.  Don  Diego  says 
that  great  powers  have  been  granted  Don  Francisco  de 
Bobadilla.  I  have  not  seen  those  powers.  But  he  has  de 
manded  in  the  name  of  the  Sovereigns  our  prisoners,  our 
ships  and  towns  and  forts,  and  has  cited  us  to  appear  before 
him  and  answer  charges  —  of  I  know  not  what!  I  well 
think  it  is  a  voice  without  true  mind  or  power  behind  it  — 
I  go  to  San  Domingo,  but  not  just  at  his  citation!  " 

Later,  in  the  moonlight,  one  of  our  men  told  me  that 
which  a  man  of  Carvajal  had  told  him.  All  the  Admiral's 
enemies,  and  none  ever  said  they  were  few,  had  this  fire-new 
commissioner's  ear!  A  friend  could  not  get  within  hail. 
Just  or  unjust,  every  complaint  came  and  squatted  in  a  ring 
around  him.  Maybe  some  were  just  —  such  as  soldiers 
not  being  able  to  get  their  pay,  for  instance.  There  was 
never  but  one  who  lived  without  spot  or  blemish.  But  of 
course  we  knew  that  the  old  Admiral  wasn't  really  a  tyrant, 
cruel  and  a  fool!  Of  course  not.  Carvajal's  man  was  pre 
pared  to  fight  any  man  of  his  own  class  who  would  say 
that  to  his  face !  He'd  fight,  too,  for  the  Adelantado.  Don 
Francisco  de  Bobadilla  had  no  sooner  landed  than  he  began 
to  talk  and  act  as  though  they  were  all  villains.  Don  Diego 
—  whom  it  was  laughable  to  call  a  villain  —  and  all.  He 
went  to  mass  at  once  —  Don  Francisco  de  Bobadilla  —  and 
when  it  was  over  and  all  were  out  and  all  San  Domingo 
there  in  the  square,  he  had  his  letters  loudly  read.  True 
enough !  He  is  Governor,  and  everybody  else  must  obey 
him!  Even  the  Admiral!  ^ 

At  dawn  Juan  Lepe  walked  and  thought.  And  then  he 
saw  coming  the  Franciscan,  Juan  de  Trasiena  and  Fran 
cisco  Velasquez  the  Treasurer.  That  which  Juan  de  Tra 
siena  and  Francisco  Velasquez  brought  were  attested  copies 
of  the  royal  letters. 

[252] 


I  saw  them.  "  Wherefore  we  have  named  Don  Francisco 
de  Bobadilla  Governor  of  these  islands  and  of  the  main 
land,  and  we  command  you,  cavaliers  and  all  persons  what 
ever,  to  .give  him  that  obedience  which  you  do  owe  to  us." 
And  to  him,  the  new  Governor :  "  Whomsoever  you  find 
guilty,  arrest  their  persons  and  take  over  their  goods."  And, 
"If  you  find  it  to  our  service  that  any  cavaliers  or  other 
persons  who  are  at  present  in  these  islands  should  leave 
them,  and  that  they  should  come  and  present  themselves 
before  us,  you  may  command  it  in  our  names  and  oblige 
it."  And,  "  Whomsoever  you  thus  command,  we  hereby 
order  that  immediately  they  obey  as  though  it  were  our 
selves."  "  And  if  thus  and  thus  is  found  to  be  the  case, 
the  said  Admiral  of  the  Ocean- Sea  shall  give  into  your 
hands,  ships,  fortresses,  arms,  houses  and  treasure,  and  he 
shall  himself  be  obedient  to  your  command." 

The  Admiral  said,  "  If  it  be  found  thus  and  thus !  But 
how  shall  he  find  it,  seeing  that  it  is  not  so  ?  " 

We  rode  to  San  Domingo,  but  not  many  rode.  He  would 
not  have  many.  "  No  show  of  force,  no  gaud  of  office !  " 

He  rode  unarmored,  on  his  gray  horse.  The  banner  that 
was  always  borne  with  him  — "  Yea,  carry  it  still,  until 
he  demands  it !  " 

We  were  a  bare  dozen,  but  when  we  entered  San  Domingo 
one  might  think  that  Don  Francisco  de  Bobadilla  feared 
an  army,  for  he  had  all  his  soldiers  drawn  up  to  greet  us! 
The  rest  of  the  population  were  in  coigns,  gazing.  We  saw 
friends  —  Juan  Ponce  de  Leon  and  others  —  but  they  were 
helpless.  For  all  the  people  in  it,  the  place  seemed  to  me 
dead  quiet,  hot,  sunny,  dead  quiet. 

The  Admiral  rode  to  the  square.  Here  was  his  house, 
and  the  royal  banner  over  it.  He  dismounted  and  spoke  to 
men  before  the  door.  "Tell  Don  Francisco  de  Bobadilla 
that  Don  Cristoval  Colon  is  here." 

There  came  an  officer  with  a  sword,  behind  him  a  dozen 
men.  "  Senor,  in  the  name  of  the  Sovereigns,  I  arrest 
you!" 

[253] 


Christopherus  Columbus  gazed  upon  him.  "  For  what, 
Senor?" 

The  other,  an  arrogant,  ill-tempered  man,  answered  loudly 
so  that  all  around  could  hear,  "  For  ill-service  to  our  lord 
the  King  and  Queen,  and  to  their  subjects  here  in  the  Indies, 
and  to  God !  " 

"  God  knows,  you  hurt  the  truth ! "  said  the  Admiral. 
"  Where  is  my  brother,  Don  Diego  ?  " 

"  Laid  by  the  heels  in  the  Santa  Catarina,"  answered  the 
graceless  man ;  then  to  one  of  the  soldiers,  "  Take  the  banner 
from  behind  him  and  rest  it  against  the  wall." 

The  Admiral  said,  "  I  would  see  Don  Francisco  de  Boba- 
dilla." 

"  That  is  as  he  desires  and  when  he  desires,"  the  other 
replied.  "  Close  around  him,  men !  " 

The  fortress  of  San  Domingo  is  a  gloomy  place.  They 
prisoned  him  here,  and  they  put  irons  upon  him.  I  saw 
that  done.  One  or  two  of  his  immediate  following,  and  I 
his  physician  might  enter  with  him. 

He  stood  in  the  dismal  place  where  one  ray  of  light  came 
down  from  a  high,  small,  grated  window,  and  he  looked  at 
the  chains  which  they  brought.  He  asked,  "  Who  will  put 
them  on?" 

He  looked  at  the  chains  and  at  the  soldier  who  brought 
them.  "  Put  them  on,  man !  "  he  said.  "  What !  Once  thou 
didst  nail  God's  foot  to  a  cross !  As  for  me,  I  will  remember 
that  One  who  saved  all,  and  be  patient." 

They  chained  him  and  left  him  there  in  the  dark. 

I  saw  him  the  next  day,  entering  with  his  gaoler.  Had 
he  slept?  "  Yes."  "  How  did  he  find  himself  ?  " 

"  How  does  my  body  find  itself  ?  Why,  no  worse  than 
usual,  nowadays  that  I  am  getting  old !  My  body  has  been 
unhappier  a  thousand  times  in  storm  and  fight,  and  thirst 
and  famine." 

"  Then  mind  and  soul  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  They  are  well.  There  is  nothing  left  for  them  but 
to  feel  well.  I  am  in  the  hand  of  God." 

[254] 


I  did  what  service  for  him  I  could.  He  thanked  me. 
"  You've  been  ever  as  tender  as  a  woman.  A  brave  man 
besides !  I  hope  you'll  be  by  me,  Juan  Lepe,  when  I  die." 

"  When  you  die,  Senor,  there  will  die  a  great  servant  of 
the  world." 

I  spoke  so  because  I  knew  the  cordial  that  he  wanted. 

His  eyes  brightened,  strength  came  into  his  voice.  "  Do 
you  know  aught  of  my  brother  the  Adelantado?" 

"  No.  He  may  be  on  his  way  from  Xaragua.  What  would 
you  wish  him  to  do,  sir?" 

"  Come  quietly  to  San  Domingo  as  I  came.  This  Gov 
ernor  is  but  a  violent,  petty  shape!  But  I  have  sworn  to 
obey  the  Queen  and  the  King  of  the  Spains.  I  and  mine 
to  obey." 

I  asked  him  if  he  believed  that  the  Sovereigns  knew  this 
outrage.  I  could  believe  it  hardly  of  King  Ferdinand,  not 
at  all  of  the  Queen. 

Again  I  felt  that  this  was  cordial  to  him.  I  had  spoken 
out  of  my  conviction,  and  he  knew  it.  "  No,"  he  said.  "  I 
do  not  believe  it.  I  will  never  believe  it  of  the  Queen ! 
Look  you!  I  have  thought  it  out  in  the  night.  The  night 
is  good  for  thinking  out.  You  would  not  believe  how  many 
enemies  I  have  in  Spain.  Margarite  and  Father  Buil  are 
but  two  of  a  crowd.  Fonseca,  who  should  give  me  all  aid, 
gives  me  all  hindrance.  I  have  throngs  of  foes;  men  who 
envy  me;  men  who  thought  I  might  give  them  the  golden 
sun,  and  I  could  not;  hidalgos  who  hold  that  God  made 
them  to  enjoy,  standing  on  other  men's  shoulders,  eating 
the  grapes  and  throwing  down  the  empty  skins,  and  I  made 
them  to  labor  like  the  others;  and  not  in  Heaven  or  Hell 
will  they  forgive  me !  And  others  —  and  others.  They  have 
turned  the  King  a  little  their  way.  I  knew  that,  ere  I  went 
to  find  that  great  new  land  where  are  pearls,  that  slopes 
upward  by  littles  to  the  Height  of  the  World  and  the  Earthly 
Paradise.  Turned  the  King,  but  not  the  Queen.  But  now 
I  make  it  they  have  worked  upon  her.  I  make  it  that  she 
does  not  know  the  character  of  Don  Francisco  de  Boba- 

[255] 


149Q 


dilla.  I  make  it  that,  holding  him  to  be  far  wiser  than  he 
is,  she  with  the  King  gave  him  great  power  as  commissioner. 
I  make  it  that  they  gave  him  letters  of  authority,  and  a 
last  letter,  superseding  the  Viceroy,  naming  him  Governor 
whom  all  must  obey.  I  make  it  that  he  was  only  to  use  this 
if  after  long  examination  it  was  found  by  a  wise,  just  man 
that  I  had  done  after  my  enemies'  hopes.  I  make  it  that 
here  across  Ocean-Sea,  far,  far  from  Spain,  he  chose  not 
to  wait.  He  clucked  to  him  all  the  disaffected  and  flew  with 
a  strong  beak  at  the  eyes  of  my  friends."  He  moved  his 
arms  and  his  chains  clanked.  "  I  make  it  that  this  severity 
is  Don  Francisco  de  Bobadilla's,  not  King  Ferdinand's,  not 
—  oh,  more  than  not  —  the  good  Queen's !  " 

Juan  Lepe  thought  that  he  had  made  out  the  probabilities, 
probably  the  certainties. 

"  If  I  may  win  to  Spain !  "  he  ended.  "  It  all  hinges  on 
that!  If  I  may  see  the  Sovereigns  —  if  I  may  see  the  good 
Queen !  I  hope  to  God  he  will  soon  chain  me  in  a  ship  and 
send  me !  " 

Had  he  seen  Don  Francisco  de  Bobadilla? 

No,  he  had  not  seen  Don  Francisco  de  Bobadilla.  He 
thought  that  on  the  whole  that  Hidalgo  and  Commander  of 
Calatrava  was  afraid. 

Outside  of  the  fortress  that  afternoon  Juan  Lepe  kept 
company  with  one  who  had  come  with  the  fire-new  Gov 
ernor,  a  grim,  quiet  fellow  named  Pedro  Lopez.  He  and 
Luis  Torres  had  been  neighbors  in  Spain;  it  was  Luis  who 
brought  us  together.  I  gave  him  some  wine  in  Doctor  Juan 
Lepe's  small  room  and  he  told  readily  the  charges  against 
the  Viceroy  that  Bobadilla,  seizing,  made  into  a  sheaf. 

Already  I  knew  what  they  were.  I  had  heard  them.  One 
or  two  had,  I  thought,  faint  justification,  but  the  mass,  no ! 
Personal  avarice,  personal  greed,  paynim  luxury,  arrogance, 
cruelty,  deceit  —  it  made  one  sorrowfully  laugh  who  knew 
the  man!  Here  again  clamored  the  old  charge  of  upstart- 
ness.  A  low-born  Italian,  son  of  a  wool-comber,  vindictive 
toward  the  hidalgo  of  Spain !  But  there  were  new  charges. 

[256] 


Three  men  deposed  that  he  neglected  Indian  salvation.  And 
I  heard  for  the  first  time  that  so  soon  as  he  found  the  Grand 
Khan  he  meant  to  give  over  to  that  Oriental  all  the  islands 
and  the  main,  and  so  betray  the  Sovereigns  and  Christ  and 
every  Spaniard  in  these  parts! 

The  Adelantado  arrived  in  San  Domingo.  He  came  with 
only  a  score  or  two  of  men,  who  could  have  raised  many 
more.  Don  Francisco  de  Bobadilla  saw  to  it  that  he  had 
word  from  his  great  brother,  and  that  word  was  "  Obedi 
ence."  The  Adelantado  gave  his  sword  to  Don  Francisco. 
The  latter  loaded  the  first  with  chains  and  put  him  aboard 
a  caravel  in  the  harbor.  He  asked  to  be  prisoned  with  his 
brother;  but  why  ask  any  magnanimity  from  an  unmag- 
nanimous  soul? 

Out  in  the  open  now  were  all  the  old  insurgents.  Gue 
vara  and  Requelme  bowed  to  the  earth  when  the  Governor 
passed,  and  Roldan  sat  with  him  at  wine. 


[257] 


CHAPTER  XXXVI 

THE  caravel  tossed  in  a  heavy  storm.  Some  of  her 
mariners  were  old  in  these  waters,  but  others,  coming 
out  with  Bobadilla,  had  little  knowledge  of  our  breadths 
of  Ocean-Sea.  They  had  met  naught  like  this  rain,  this 
shaken  air,  these  thunders  and  lightnings.  There  rose  a  cry 
that  the  ship  would  split.  All  was  because  they  had  chained 
the  Admiral! 

Don  Alonso  de  Villejo,  the  Captain  taking  Christopherus 
Columbus  to  Spain,  called  to  him  Juan  Lepe.  "  Witness 
you,  Doctor,  I  would  have  taken  away  the  irons  so  soon  as 
we  were  out  of  harbor !  I  would  have  done  it  on  my  own 
responsibility.  But  he  would  not  have  it !  " 

"  Yes,  I  witness.  In  chains  in  Hispaniola,  he  will  come 
to  Spain  in  chains." 

"  If  the  ship  goes  down  every  man  must  save  himself.  He 
must  be  free.  I  have  sent  for  the  smith.  Come  you  with 
me!" 

We  went  to  that  dusky  cabin  in  the  ship  where  he  was 
prisoned.  "  It  is  a  great  storm,  and  we  are  in  danger, 
Senor !  "  said  Villejo.  "  I  will  take  away  these  irons  so 
that  if  —  " 

The  Admiral's  silver  hair  gleamed  in  the  dusk.  He  moved 
and  his  gyves  struck  together.  "  Villejo !  "  he  said,  "  if  I 
lie  to-night  on  the  floor  of  Ocean-Sea,  I  will  lie  there  in  these 
chains !  When  the  sea  gives  up  its  dead,  I  will  rise  in  them !  " 

"  I  could  force  you,  Senor,"  said  Villejo. 

The  other  answered,  "  Try  it,  and  God  will  make  your 
hands  like  a  babe's !  " 

Villejo  and  the  smith  did  not  try  it.  There  was  something 
[258] 


14pQ 


around  him  like  an  invisible  guard.  I  knew  the  feel  of  it, 
and  that  it  was  his  will  emerged  at  height. 

"  Remember  then,  Senor,  that  I  would  have  done  it  for 
you !  "  Villejo  touched  the  door.  The  Admiral's  voice  came 
after.  "  My  brother,  Don  Bartholomew,  he  who  was  re 
sponsible  to  me  and  only  through  me  to  the  Sovereigns, 
free  him,  Villejo,  and  you  have  all  my  thanks !  " 

We  went  to  take  the  gyves  from  Don  Bartholomew.  It 
would  have  been  comfort  to  these  brothers  to  be  together  in 
prison  —  but  that  the  Governor  of  Hispaniola  straitly  for 
bade.  When  Villejo  had  explained  what  he  would  do,  the 
Adelantado  asked,  "What  of  the  Admiral?" 

"  I  wish  to  take  them  from  him  also.  But  he  is  obsti 
nate  in  his  pride  and  will  not ! " 

"  He  will  go  as  he  is  to  the  Queen  and  Spain  and  the 
world,"  said  Juan  Lepe. 

"  That  is  enough  for  me,"  answered  the  Adelantado.  "  I 
do  not  go  down  to-night  a  freed  body  while  he  goes  down  a 
chained. —  Farewell,  Senor!  I  think  I  hear  your  sailors 
calling." 

Villejo  hesitated.  "Let  them  have  their  will,  Senor," 
said  Juan  Lepe.  "  Their  will  is  as  good  as  ours." 

Don  Bartholomew  turned  to  me.  "  How  fares  my  brother, 
Doctor?  Is  he  ill?" 

"  He  is  better.  Because  he  was  ill  I  was  let  to  come  with 
him.  But  now  he  is  better." 

"  Give  him  my  enduring  love  and  constancy,"  said  the 
Adelantado.  "Good  night,  Villejo!"  and  turned  upon  his 
side  with  a  rattling  of  his  chain. 

Returning  to  the  Admiral,  Juan  Lepe  sat  beside  him 
through  the  night.  The  tempest  continuing,  there  were 
moments  when  we  thought,  It  may  be  the  end  of  this  life! 
We  thought  to  hear  the  cry  "  She  sinks !  "  and  the  rush  of 
feet. 

At  times  when  there  fell  lulls  we  talked.  He  was  calmly 
cheerful. 

"  It  seems  to  me  that  the  storm  lessens.  I  have  been 
[259] 


penning  in  my  mind,  lying  here,  a  letter  to  one  who  will 
show  it  to  the  Queen.  Writing  so,  I  can  say  with  greater 
freedom  that  which  should  be  said." 

"What  do  you  say?" 

He  told  me  with  energy.  His  letter  related  past  events 
in  Hispaniola  and  the  arrival  of  Bobadilla  and  all  that  took 
place  thereupon.  He  had  an  eloquence  of  the  pen  as  of 
speech,  and  what  he  said  to  Dona  Juana  de  la  Torre  moved. 
A  high  simplicity  was  his  in  such  moment,  an  opening  of 
the  heart,  such  as  only  children  and  the  very  great  attain. 
He  told  his  wrongs,  and  he  prayed  for  just  judgment,  "  not 
as  a  ruler  of  an  ordered  land  where  obtain  old,  known, 
long- folio  wed  laws,  and  where  indeed  disorder  might  cry 
'  Weakness  and  Ill-doing!'  But  I  should  be  judged  rather 
as  a  general  sent  to  bring  under  government  an  enemy  people, 
numerous,  heathen,  living  in  a  most  difficult,  unknown  and 
pathless  country.  And  to  do  this  I  had  many  good  men, 
it  is  true,  but  also  a  host  that  was  not  good,  but  was  factious, 
turbulent,  sensual  and  idle.  Yet  have  I  brought  these  strange 
lands  and  naked  peoples  under  the  Sovereigns,  giving  them 
the  lordship  of  a  new  world.  What  say  my  accusers  ?  They 
say  that  I  have  taken  great  honors  and  wealth  and  nobility 
for  myself  and  my  house.  Even  they  say,  O  my  friend ! 
that  from  the  vast  old-and-new  and  fairest  land  that  I  have 
lately  found,  I  took  and  kept  the  pearls  that  those  natives 
brought  me,  not  rendering  them  to  the  Sovereigns.  God 
judge  me,  it  is  not  so!  Spain  becometh  vastly  rich,  and 
the  head  of  the  world,  and  her  Sovereigns,  lest  they  should 
scant  their  own  nobility,  give  nobility,  place  and  wage  to 
him  who  brought  them  Lordship  here.  It  is  all !  And  out 
of  my  gain  am  I  not  pledged  to  gather  an  army  and  set  it 
forth  to  gain  the  Sepulchre  ?  Have  I  fallen,  now  and  again, 
in  all  these  years  in  my  Government,  into  some  error  ?  How 
should  I  not  do  so,  being  human?  But  never  hath  an  error 
been  meant,  never  have  I  wished  but  to  deal  honestly  and 
mercifully  with  all,  with  Spaniards  and  with  Indians,  to 
serve  well  the  Sovereigns  and  to  advance  the  Cross.  I  call 

[260] 


the  saints  to  witness !  All  the  way  has  been  difficult,  thorns 
of  nature's  and  my  enemies'  planting,  but  God  knoweth,  I 
have  trodden  it  steadily.  I  have  given  much  to  the  Sover 
eigns,  how  much  it  is  future  days  brighter  than  these  will 
show!  I  have  been  true  servant  to  them.  If  now,  writing 
in  chains,  upon  the  caravel  Santa  Marta,  I  cry  to  them  for 
justice,  it  is  because  I  do  not  fear  justice!" 

He  ceased  to  speak,  then  presently,  "  I  would  that  all 
might  see  the  light  that  I  see  over  the  future !  —  Thou  seest 
it,  Juan  Lepe." 

"  Aye,  I  see  light  over  the  f  uture." 

By  littles  the  storm  fell.  Ere  dawn  we  could  say,  "  We 
shall  outlive  it !  "  He  slept  for  an  hour  then  waked.  "  I 
was  dreaming  of  the  Holy  Land  —  but  do  you  know,  Juan 
Lepe,  it  was  seated  here  in  the  lands  we  found !  " 

"  Seated  here  and  everywhere,"  I  said.  "  As  soon  as  we 
see  it  so  and  make  it  so." 

"  Aye,  I  know  that  the  sea  is  holy,  and  so  should  be  all 
the  land !  The  prophet  sees  it  so  —  " 

The  dawn  came  faintly  in  upon  us.  All  was  quieter,  the 
footing  overhead  steady,  not  hasting,  frightened.  Light 
strengthened.  A  boy  brought  him  breakfast.  He  ate  with 
appetite.  "  You  are  better,"  I  said,  "  and  younger." 

"  It  is  a  strange  thing/'  he  answered,  "  but  so  it  had  been 
from  my  boyhood.  Is  the  danger  close  and  drear,  is  the 
ship  upon  the  reef,  then  some  one  pours  for  me  wine !  Some 
one,  do  I  say  ?  I  know  Whom  !  " 

I  began  to  speak  of  the  Adelantado.  "  Aye,  there  he  is 
the  same !  '  Peril  —  darkness  ?  Well,  let's  meet  it ! '  We 
are  alike,  we  three  brothers,  alike  and  different.  Diego 
serves  God  best  in  a  monastery,  and  I  serve  best  in  a  ship 
with  a  book  and  a  map  to  be  followed  and  bettered.  Bar 
tholomew  serves  best  where  he  has  been,  Adelantado  and  Al- 
cayde.  He  is  powerful  there,  with  judgment  and  action.  But 
he  is  a  sea  master  too,  and  he  makes  a  good  map. —  I  thank 
God  who  gave  us  good  parents,  and  to  us  all  three  mind 
and  a  firm  will!  The  inheritance  passes  to  my  sons.  You 

[261] 


1490 


have  not  seen  them?  They  are  youths  of  great  promise! 
A  family  that  is  able  and  at  one,  loving  and  aiding  each  the 
other,  honoring  its  past  and  providing  for  its  future,  be 
comes,  I  tell  you,  an  Oak  that  cannot  be  felled  —  an  Ark 
that  rides  the  waters !  " 

As  he  moved,  his  chains  made  again  their  dull  noise.  "  Do 
they  greatly  gall  you  ?  " 

"  Yes,  they  gall !  Flesh  and  spirit.  But  I  shall  wear 
them  until  the  Queen  saith,  '  Away  with  them ! '  But  ever 
after  I  shall  keep  them  by  me!  They  shall  hang  in  my 
house  where  forever  men  shall  see  them!  In  my  son's 
house  after  me,  and  in  his  son's !  " 

Alonso  de  Villejo  visited  him.  "  The  tempest  is  over, 
Sefior.  I  take  it  for  good  augury  in  your  affair !  " 

Juan  Lepe  upon  the  deck  found  beside  him  a  man  whom 
he  knew.  "  What  d'ye  think?  At  the  worst,  in  the  middle 
night,  there  came  to  Don  Alonso  and  the  master  the  old 
seamen  and  would  have  him  freed  so  that  he  might  save  us ! 
They  said  that  they  had  seen  his  double  upon  the  poop, 
looking  at  the  sea  and  waving  his  arm.  Then  it  vanished! 
They  wanted  the  whole  man,  they  wanted  the  Admiral !  The 
master  roared  at  them  and  sent  them  back,  but  if  it  had  come 
to  the  .worst  —  I  don't  know!" 

Cadiz  —  the  Santa  Maria  came  to  Cadiz.  Before  us  had 
arrived  Bobadilla's  ships,  one,  two  and  three.  What  he  found 
to  say  through  his  messengers  of  the  Admiral  and  Viceroy 
was  in  the  hands  and  eyes  and  ears  of  all.  He  said  at  the 
height  of  his  voice,  across  the  ocean  from  Hispaniola,  violent 
and  villainous  things. 

Cadiz  —  Spain.  We  crowded  to  look.  .  Down  plunged 
anchor,  down  rattled  sails,  around  us  came  the  boats.  The 
Admiral  and  the  Adelantado  rested  in  chains.  The  corregi- 
dor  of  Cadiz  took  them  both  thus  ashore  and  to  a  house 
where  they  were  kept,  until  the  Sovereigns  should  say, 
"Bring  them  before  us!" 

Juan  Lepe  the  physician  was  let  to  go  in  the  boat  with 
[262] 


him.  Juan  Lepe  —  Jayme  de  Marchena.  It  was  eight  years 
since  I  had  quitted  Spain.  I  was  older  by  that,  grizzled, 
bearded  and  so  bronzed  by  the  Indies  that  I  needed  no 
Moorish  stain.  I  trusted  God  that  Don  Pedro  and  the  Holy 
Office  had  no  longer  claws  for  me. 

Cadiz,  and  all  the  people  out,  pointing  and  staring.  I  re 
membered  what  I  had  been  told  of  the  return  from  his  first 
voyage,  and  the  second  voyage.  Then  had  been  bells  and 
trumpets,  flowers,  banners,  grandees  drawing  him  among 
them,  shouts  and  shouts  of  welcome! 

He  walked  in  gyves,  he  and  the  Adelantado,  to  the  house 
of  his  detention.  Once  only  a  single  voice  was  raised  in  a 
shout,  "  El  Almirante !  "  We  came  to  the  house,  not  a 
prison,  though  a  prison  for  him.  In  a  good  enough  room 
the  corregidor  sought  to  have  the  chains  removed.  The  Ad 
miral  would  not,  keeping  back  with  voice  and  eye.  the  men 
who  wished  to  part  them  from  him.  When  the  Sovereigns 
knew,  and  when  the  Sovereigns  sent  —  then,  but  not  be 
fore! 

Seven  days  in  this  house.  Then  word  from  the  Sover 
eigns,  and  it  was  here  indignant,  and  here  comforting. 
The  best  was  the  Queen's  word ;  I  do  not  know  if  it  was 
so  wholly  King  Ferdinand's.  There  were  letters  to  the  al 
calde  and  corregidor.  Release  the  Admiral  of  the  Ocean- 
Sea!  Don  Francisco  de  Bobadilla  had  grossly  misunder 
stood!  Soothe  the  Admiral's  hurt.  Show  him  trust  and 
gratitude  in  Cadiz  that  was  become  through  him  a  greater 
city!  Fulfill  his  needs  and  further  him  upon  the  way  to 
Granada.  Put  in  his  purse  two  thousand  ducats.  But  the 
letter  that  counted  most  to  Christopherus  Columbus  was 
one  to  himself  from  the  Queen. 

Juan  Lepe  found  him  with  it  in  his  hand.  From  the 
wrist  yet  hung  the  chain.  Tears  were  running  down  his 
cheeks.  "  You  see  —  you  see !  "  he  said.  "  I  thank  thee, 
Christ,  who  taketh  care  of  us  all !  " 

They  came  and  took  away  his  chains.  But  he  claimed 
them  from  the  corregidor  and  kept  them  to  his  death.  Came 

[263] 


hidalgos  of  Cadiz  and  entreated  him  away  from  this  house 
to  a  better  one.  Outside  the  street  was  thronged.  "  The 
Admiral !  The  Admiral !  Who  gave  to  Spain  the  Indies !  " 
Don  Bartholomew  was  by  him,  freed  like  him.  And  there 
too  moved  a  slender  young  man  who  had  come  from  Gran 
ada  with  the  Queen's  letter,  Don  Fernando,  his  eldest  son. 
A  light  seemed  around  them.  Juan  Lepe  thought,  "  Surely 
they  who  serve  large  purposes  are  cared  for.  Even  though 
they  should  die  in  prison,  yet  are  they  cared  for ! " 


[264] 


CHAPTER  XXXVII 

JUAN  LEPE  lay  upon  the  sand  beyond  Palos.  The  Ad 
miral  was  with  the  court  in  Granada,  but  his  physician, 
craving  holiday,  had  borne  a  letter  to  Juan  Perez,  the 
Prior  of  Santa  Maria  de  la  Rabida. 

I  thought  the  Admiral  would  go  again  seafaring,  and  that 
I  would  go  with  him.  Up  at  La  Rabida,  Fray  Juan  Perez 
was  kind.  I  had  a  cell,  I  could  come  and  go;  he  did 
not  tell  Palos  that  here  was  the  Admiral's  physician,  who 
knew  the  Indies  from  the  first  taking  and  could  relate 
wonders.  I  lived  obscure,  but  in  Prior's  room,  by  a  light 
fire,  for  it  was  November,  he  himself  endlessly  questioned 
and  listened. 

Ocean  before  me,  ocean,  ocean!  Lying  here,  those  years 
ago,  I  had  seen  ocean  only.  Now,  far,  far,  I  saw  land,  saw 
San  Salvador,  Cuba  that  might  be  the  main,  Hayti,  Jamaica, 
San  Juan,  Guadaloupe,  Trinidad,  Paria  that  again  seemed 
main.  Vast  islands  and  a  world  of  small  islands,  vast  main 
lands.  Then  no  sail  was  seen  on  far  Ocean-Sea;  now  out 
there  might  be  ships  going  from  Cadiz,  coming,  returning 
from  San  Domingo.  Eight  years,  and  so  the  world  was 
changed ! 

I  thought,  "  In  fifty  years  —  in  a  hundred  years  —  in  two 
hundred  ?  What  is  coming  up  the  long  road  ?  " 

Ocean  murmured,  the  tide  was  coming  in.  Juan  Lepe 
waited  till  the  sands  had  narrowed,  till  the  gray  wave  foamed 
under  his  hand.  Then  he  rose  and  walked  slowly  to  La 
Rabida. 

After  compline,  talk;  Fray  Juan  Perez,  the  good  man, 
[265] 


comfortable  in  his  great  chair  before  the  fire.  He  had  hun 
gered  always,  I  thought,  for  adventure  and  marvel.  Here 
it  happened  —  ?  And  here  it  happened  —  ? 

To-night  we  fell  to  talk  of  the  Pinzons  —  Martin  who 
was  dead,  and  Vicente  who  now  was  on  Ocean-Sea,  on  a 
voyage  of  his  own  —  and  of  others  who  had  sailed,  and 
what  they  found  and  where  they  were.  We  were  at  ease 
about  the  Admiral.  We  had  had  letters. 

He  was  in  Granada,  dressed  again  in  crimson  and  gold, 
towering  again  with  his  silver  head,  honored  and  praised. 
When  first  he  came  into  the  Queen's  presence  she  had 
trembled  a  little  and  turned  pale,  and  there  was  water  in  her 
eyes.  "  Master  Christopherus,  forgive  us !  "  "  Whereupon," 
said  the  letter,  "  I  wept  with  her/' 

Apparently  all  honors  were  back ;  he  moved  Admiral  and 
Viceroy.  His  brothers,  his  sons,  all  his  house  walked  in  a 
spring  sun.  He  had  been  shown  the  letters  from  Bobadilla, 
and  he  who  was  not  lengthy  in  speech  had  spoken  an  hour 
upon  them.  His  word  rang  gold;  Christ  gave  it,  he  said, 
that  his  truth  was  believed.  Don  Francisco  de  Bobadilla 
would  quit  Hispaniola  —  though  not  in  chains. 

Fray  Juan  Perez  stirred  the  fire.  Upon  the  table  stood  a 
flask  of  wine  and  a  dish  of  figs.  We  were  comfortable  in 
La  Rabida. 

Days  passed,  weeks  passed,  time  passed.  Word  from 
the  Admiral,  word  of  the  Admiral,  came  not  infrequently 
to  white  La  Rabida.  He  himself,  in  his  own  person,  stood 
in  bright  favor,  the  Queen  treasuring  him,  loving  to  talk 
with  him,  the  Court  following  her,  the  King  at  worst  only 
a  cool  friend.  But  his  affairs  of  office,  Fray  Juan  Perez 
and  I  gathered,  sitting  solicitous  at  La  Rabida,  were  not  in 
so  fair  a  posture.  He  and  his  household  did  not  lack. 
Monies  were  paid  him,  though  not  in  full  his  tithe  of  all 
gains  from  his  finding.  What  never  shook  was  his  title  of 
The  Admiral.  But  they  seemed,  the  Sovereigns,  or  at  least 
King  Ferdinand,  to  look  through  "  Viceroy  "  as  though  it 
were  a  shade.  And  in  Hispaniola,  though  charged,  reproved, 

[266] 


threatened,  still  stayed  Bobadilla  in  the  guise  of  Governor ! 

"  They  cannot  leave  him  there/'  I  said.  "  If  the  Colombos 
are  not  men  for  the  place,  what  then  is  Bobadilla  ?  " 

Fray  Juan  Perez  stirred  the  fire.  "  King  Ferdinand,  I 
say  it  only  to  you  and  in  a  whisper,  has  not  a  little  of  the 
King  of  the  Foxes !  Not,  till  he  has  made  up  his  mind, 
doth  he  wish  there  a  perfect  man.  When  he  has  made  it 
up,  he  will  cast  about  —  " 

"  I  do  not  think  he  has  any  better  than  the  Adelantado !  " 

" '  Those  brothers  are  one.  Leave  him  out ! '  saith  the 
King.  I  will  read  you  his  mind !  '  Master  Christopherus 
Columbus  hath  had  too  much  from  the  beginning.  Nor  is 
he  necessary  as  he  was.  When  the  breach  is  made,  any 
may  take  the  fortress !  I  will  leave  him  and  give  him 
what  I  must  but  no  more ! '  He  will  send  at  last  another 
than  Bobadilla,  but  not  again,  if  he  can  help  it,  the  old  Vice 
roy!  Of  course  there  is  the  Queen,  but  she  has  many  sor 
rows  these  days,  and  fails,  they  say,  in  health." 

"  It  may  be,"  said  Juan  Lepe.  "  I  myself  were  content 
for  him  to  rest  The  Admiral  only.  But  his  mind  is  yet  a 
hawk  towering  over  land  and  sea  and  claiming  both  for 
prize.  He  mingles  the  earthly  and  the  heavenly." 

"  It  is  true,"  said  Fray  Juan  Perez,  "  that  age  comes  upon 
him.  And  true,  too,  that  King  Ferdinand  may  say,  '  What 
ever  it  was  at  first,  this  world  in  the  West  becomes  far  too 
vast  a  matter  for  one  man  and  the  old,  first,  simple  ways ! ' ' 

"You  have  it  there,"  I  answered,  and  we  covered  the 
embers  and  went  to  bed  in  La  Rabida. 

Winter  passed.  It  was  seen  that  the  Admiral  could  not 
sail  this  week  nor  the  next. 

Juan  Lepe,  bearded,  brown  as  a  Moor,  older  than  in  the 
year  Granada  fell,  crossed  with  quietness  much  of  Castile 
and  came  on  a  spring  evening  to  the  castle  of  Don  Enrique 
de  Cerda.  Again  "Juan  Lepe  from  the  hermitage  in  the 
oak  wood!' 

Seven  days.  I  would  not  stay  longer,  but  in  that  time  the 
ancient  trees  waved  green  again. 

[267] 


Don  Enrique  had  been  recently  to  Granada.  "  King  Fer 
dinand  will  change  all  matters  in  the  West!  Your  islands 
shall  have  Governors,  as  many  as  necessary.  They  shall 
refer  themselves  to  a  High  Governor  at  San  Domingo,  who 
in  his  turn  shall  closely  listen  to  a  Council  here." 

"  Will  the  High  Governor  be  Don  Cristoval  Colon?  " 

"  No.  I  hear  that  he  himself  agrees  to  a  suspension  of 
his  viceroyalty  for  two  years,  seeing  well  that  in  Hispaniola 
is  naught  but  faction,  everything  torn  into  '  Friends  of  the 
Genoese  '  and  '  Not  friends  ! '.  Perhaps  he  sees  that  he  cannot 
help  himself  and  that  he  less  parts  with  dignity  by  acceding. 
I  do  not  know.  There  is  talk  of  Don  Nicholas  de  Ovanda, 
Commander  of  Lares.  Your  man  will  not,  I  think,  be  sent 
before  a  steady  wind  for  Viceroy  again  —  never  again.  If 
he  presses  too  persistently,  there  can  always  be  found  one 
or  more  who  will  stand  and  cry,  '  He  did  intend,  O  King  — 
he  doth  intend  —  to  make  himself  King  of  the  Indies ! ' 
And  King  Ferdinand  will  say  he  does  not  believe,  but  it  is 
manifest  that  that  thought  must  first  die  from  men's  minds. 
The  Queen  fails  fast.  She  has  not  the  voice  and  the  hand 
in  all  matters  that  once  was  so." 

"  He  is  one  who  dies  for  loyalties,"  I  said.  "  He  rever 
ences  all  simply  the  crowns  of  Castile  and  Leon.  For  his 
own  sake  I  am  not  truly  so  anxious  to  have  him  Viceroy 
again !  They  will  give  him  ships  and  let  him  discover  until 
he  dies?" 

"  Ah,  I  don't  think  there  is  any  doubt  about  that !  "  he 
answered. 

We  talked  somewhat  of  that  great  modern  world,  evident 
now  over  the  horizon,  bearing  upon  us  like  a  tall,  full-rigged 
ship.  All  things  were  changing,  changing  fast.  We  talked 
of  commerce  and  inventions,  of  letters  and  of  arts,  of  re 
ligion  and  the  soul  of  man.  Out  of  the  soil  were  pushing 
everywhere  plants  that  the  old  called  heretical. 

Seven  days.     We  were,  as  we  shall  be  forever,  friends. 

But  Juan  Lepe  would  go  back  to  La  Rabida.  He  was,  for 
this  turn  of  life,  man  of  the  Admiral  of  the  Ocean-Sea.  So 

[268] 


we  said  farewell,  Enrique  de  Cerda  and  Jayme  de  Marchena. 

Three  leagues  Seville  side  of  Cordova  I  came  at  eve  to 
a  good  inn  known  to  me  of  old.  Riding  into  its  court  I 
found  two  travelers  entering  just  before  me,  one  a  well- 
formed  hidalgo  still  at  prime,  and  the  other  a  young  man 
evidently  his  son.  The  elder  who  had  just  dismounted 
turned  and  I  recognized  Don  Francisco  de  Las  Casas.  At 
the  same  instant  he  saw  me.  "  Ha,  Friend !  Ha,  Doc 
tor  ! " 

We  took  our  supper  together  in  a  wide,  low  room,  looking 
out  upon  the  road.  Don  Francisco  and  Juan  Lepe  talked 
and  the  young  man  listened.  Juan  Lepe  talked  but  his 
eyes  truly  were  for  this  young  man.  It  was  not  that  he 
was  of  a  striking  aspect  and  better  than  handsome,  though 
he  was  all  that  — but  I  do  not  know  —  it  was  the  future  in 
his  countenance!  His  father  addressed  him  as  Bartolome. 
Once  he  said,  "  When  my  son  was  at  the  University  at 
Salamanca,"  and  again,  "  My  son  will  go  out  with  Don 
Nicholas  de  Ovando."  Juan  Lepe,  sitting  in  a  brown  study, 
roused  at  that.  "If  you  go,  Sefior,  you  will  find  good  memo 
ries  around  the  name  of  Las  Casas." 

The  young  man  said,  "  I  will  strive  in  no  way  to  darken 
them,  Sefior." 

He  might  be  a  year  or  two  the  younger  side  of  thirty. 
The  father,  it  was  evident,  had  great  pride  in  him,  and 
presently  having  sent  him  on  some  errand  —  sending  him, 
I  thought,  in  order  to  be  able  to  speak  of  him  — told  me  that 
he  was  very  learned,  a  licentiate,  having  mastered  law, 
theology  and  philosophy.  He  himself  would  not  return  to 
Hispaniola,  but  Bartolome  wished  to  go.  He  sighed,  "  I 
do  not  know.  Something  makes  me  consent,"  and  went 
on  to  enlist  Doctor  Juan  Lepe's  care  if  in  the  island  ever 
arose  any  chance  to  aid  — 

The  son  returned.  There  was  something  —  Juan  Lepe 
knew  it — something  in  the  future. 

Later,  Don  Francisco  having  gone  to  bed,  the  young  man 
and  I  talked.  I  liked  him  extraordinarily.  I  was  not  far  from 

[269] 


1492 


twice  his  age,  as  little  man  counts  age.  But  he  had  soul  and 
mind,  and  while  these  count  age  it  is  not  in  the  short,  earthly 
way.  He  asked  me  about  the  Indians,  and  again  and  again 
we  came  back  to  that,  pacing  up  and  down  in  the  moon 
light  before  the  Spanish  inn. 

The  next  morning  parting.  They  were  going  to  Cor 
dova,  I  to  the  sea. 

The  doves  flew  over  the  cloister  of  La  Rabida.  The  bells 
rang;  in  the  small  white  church  sang  the  brothers,  then 
paced  to  their  cells  or  away  to  their  work  among  the  vines. 
Prior  had  a  garden,  small,  with  a  tree  in  each  corner,  with 
a  stone  bench  in  the  sun  and  a  stone  bench  in  the  shade, 
and  the  doves  walked  here  all  day  long.  And  here  I  found 
the  Adelantado  with  Fray  Juan  Perez. 

The  Admiral  was  well? 

Aye,  well,  and  next  month  would  come  to  Seville.  A  new 
Voyage. 

We  sat  under  the  grape  arbor  and  he  told  me  much,  the 
Prior  listening  for  the  second  time.  The  doves  cooed  and 
whirred  and  walked  in  the  sun  and  shadow.  According  to 
Don  Bartholomew,  half  in  his  pack  was  dark  and  half  was 
light. 

Ovando?  We  heard  again  of  all  that.  He  was  going 
out,  Don  Nicholas  de  Ovando,  with  a  great  fleet. 

The  Adelantado  possessed  a  deal  of  plain,  strong  sense. 
"  I  do  not  think  that  Cristoforo  will  ever  rule  again  in 
Hispaniola !  King  Ferdinand  has  his  own  measure  and  goes 
about  to  apply  it.  The  Queen  flinches  now  from  decisions. 
—  Well,  what  of  it?  After  all,  we  were  bred  to  the  sea. 
I  have  a  notion  that  his  son  Diego  —  an  able  youth  —  may 
yet  be  Viceroy.  He  has  established  his  family,  if  so  be  he 
does  not  bring  down  the  structure  by  obstinating  overmuch ! 
He  sees  that,  the  Admiral,  and  nods  his  head  and  steps 
aside.  As  for  native  pride  and  its  hurt  he  salves  that  with 
great  enterprises.  It  is  his  way.  Drouth?  Frost?  Out  of 
both  he  rises,  green  and  hopeful  as  grass  in  May ! " 

"  What  of  the  Voyage?  "  asked  Juan  Lepe. 
[270] 


"  That's  the  enterprise  that  will  go  through.  Now  that 
Portugal  and  Vasco  da  Gama  are  actually  in  at  the  door, 
it  behooves  us  —  more  and  more  it  behooves  us,"  said  Bar- 
tolomeo  Colombo,  "  to  find  India  of  All  the  Wealth !  Spain 
no  less  than  Portugal  wants  the  gold  and  diamonds,  the 
drugs  and  spices,  the  fine,  thin,  painted  cloths,  the  carved 
ivory  and  silver  and  amber.  '  Land,  land,  so  much  land ! ' 
says  King  Ferdinand.  '  But  wealth?  It  is  all  out-go !  Even 
your  Crusade  were  a  beggarly  Crusade ! '  " 

"Ha!     That  hurt  him!"  quoth  Fray  Juan  Perez. 

"  Says  the  King.  *  Pedro  Alonso  Nino  has  made  for  us 
the  most  profitable  voyage  of  any  who  have  sailed  from 
Cadiz/  '  From  Cadiz,  but  not  from  Palos/  answers  the 
Admiral." 

"  Ha !  Easy  'tis  when  he  has  shown  the  way ! "  said 
Fray  Juan  Perez. 

Don  Bartholomew  drew  with  the  Prior's  stick  in  the 
sand  at  our  feet.  "  He  conceives  it  thus.  Here  to  the  north 
is  Cuba,  stretching  westward  how  far  no  man  knoweth. 
Here  to  the  south  is  Paria  that  he  found  —  no  matter  what 
Ojeda  and  Nino  and  Cabral  have  done  since!  —  stretching 
westward  how  far  no  man  knoweth,  and  between  is  a  great 
sea  holding  Jamaica  and  we  do  not  know  what  other  islands. 
Cuba  and  Paria  curving  south  and  north  and  between  them 
where  they  shall  come  closest  surely  a  strait  into  the  sea 
of  Rich  India !  "  He  drew  Cuba  and  Paria  approaching 
each  the  other  until  there  was  space  between  like  the  space 
from  the  horn  of  Spain  to  the  horn  of  Africa.  "  Rich 
India  —  now,  now,  now  —  gold  on  the  wharves,  canoes  of 
pearls,  not  cotton  and  cassava,  is  what  we  want  in  Spain! 
So  the  King  says,  '  Very  good,  you  shall  have  the  ships/ 
and  the  Queen,  '  Christ  have  you  in  his  keeping,  Master 
Christopherus ! '  So  we  go.  All  his  future  hangs,  he  knows, 
on  finding  Rich  India." 

"  How  soon  do  we  go  ?  " 

"  As  soon  as  he  can  get  the  ships  and  the  men  and  the  sup 
plies.  He  wants  only  three  or  four  and  not  great  ones. 

[271] 


Great  ships  for  warships  and  storeships,  but  little  ships  for 
discovery !  " 

"  Aye,  I  hear  him !  "  said  Fray  Juan  Perez.  "  Septem 
ber—October." 

But  it  was  not  until  March  that  we  sailed  on  his  last 
voyage. 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII 

THE  ships  were  the   Consolation,  the  Margarita,  the 
Juana  and  the  San  Sebastian,  all  caravels  and  small 
ones,   the   Consolation  the   largest   and   the  flagship. 
The  Margarita,  that  was  the  Adelantado's  ship,  sailed  badly. 
There  was  something  as  wrong  with  her  as  had  been  with 
the  Pinta  when  we  started  from  Palos  in  '92. 

The  men  all  told,  crews  and  officers  and  adventurers, 
were  less  than  two  hundred. 

Pedro  de  Terreros,  Bartholomew  Fiesco,  Diego  Tristan, 
Francisco  de  Porras  were  the  captains  of  the  caravels,  Juan 
Sanchez  and  Pedro  Ledesma  the  chief  pilots.  Bartholomew 
Fiesco  of  the  Consolation  was  a  Genoese  and  wholly  devoted 
to  the  greater  Genoese.  We  had  for  notary  Diego  Mendez. 
There  were  good  men  upon  this  voyage,  and  very  bold  men. 

The  youth  Fernando  Colon  sailed  with  his  father.  He  was 
now  fourteen,  Don  Fernando,  slim,  intelligent,  obedient  and 
loving  always  to  the  Admiral. 

Days  of  bright  weather,  days  and  days  of  that  marvelous 
favorable  wind  that  blows  over  Ocean-Sea.  The  twenty- 
fifth  of  May  the  Canaries  sank  behind  us.  On  and  on,  all 
the  sails  steady. 

We  were  not  first  for  Hispaniola.  All  must  be  strange, 
this  voyage!  Jamaica,  not  San  Domingo,  was  our  star. 
Rest  there  a  moment,  take  food  and  water,  then  forth  and 
away.  West  again,  west  by  south.  He  was  straitly  for 
bidden  to  drop  anchor  in  any  water  of  Hispaniola.  "  For 
why?"  said  they.  "Because  the  very  sight  of  his  ships 
will  tear  asunder  again  that  which  Don  Nicholas  de  Ovando 
is  healing !  " 

[273] 


The  Margarita,  that  was  next  to  the  Consolation  in  great 
ness,  sailed  so  infirmly  that  mercy  'twas  the  seas  were 
smooth.  It  was  true  accident.  She  had  been  known  at 
Palos,  Cadiz  and  San  Lucar  for  good  ship.  But  at  Ercilla 
where  we  must  stop  on  the  Sovereigns'  business,  a  storm 
had  beaten  her  upon  the  shore  where  she  got  a  great  wound 
in  her  side.  That  was  staunched,  but  all  her  frame  was 
wrenched  and  she  never  did  well  thereafter.  In  mid-June 
we  came  to  an  island  of  the  Caribs  which  they  called  Man- 
tineo.  Here  we  rested  the  better  part  of  a  week,  keeping 
good  guard  against  the  Caribs,  then  sailed,  and  now  north 
by  west,  along  a  vast  curve,  within  a  world  of  islands. 
They  are  great,  they  are  small,  they  are  of  the  extremest 
beauty!  San  Martin,  Dominica,  Guadaloupe,  San  Juan  — 
the  Boriquen  whence  had  come,  long  ago,  that  Catalina  whom 
Guacanagari  aided  —  and  untouched  at,  or  under  the  horizon, 
many  another  that  the  Admiral  had  named ;  Santa  Maria  la 
Antigua,  Santa  Cruz,  Santa  Ursula,  Montserrat,  Eleven 
Thousand  Virgins,  Marigalante  and  all  beside.  What  a 
world!  Plato  his  Atlantis.  How  truly  old  we  are  God 
only  knows! 

The  Margarita  sailed  most  badly.  At  San  Juan  that  is  the 
neighbor  great  island  to  Hispaniola,  council,  two  councils, 
one  following  the  other.  Then  said  the  Admiral,  "  We  are 
to  find  the  Strait  that  shall  at  last  carry  us  to  clothed  Asia 
of  all  the  echoes,  and  to  find  we  have  but  four  small  ships 
and  one  of  them  evidently  doomed.  And  in  that  one  sails 
my  brother.  What  is  the  Sovereigns'  command  ?  '  Touch 
not  on  your  outward  way  at  Hispaniola ! '  What  is  in  their 
mind  here  ?  '  Hale  and  faring  well,  you  have  no  need/  — 
But  if  we  are  not  hale  and  faring  well  by  a  fourth  of  our 
enterprise?  They  never  meant  it  to  a  drowning  man,  or 
one  whose  water  cask  was  empty!  Being  Christian,  no! 
We  will  put  into  San  Domingo  and  ask  of  Don  Nicholas  de 
Ovando  a  ship  in  place  of  the  Margarita" 

Whereat  all  cheered.  We  were  gathered  under  palms, 
upon  a  fair  point  of  land  in  San  Juan  le  Bautista.  Next  day 

[274] 


we  weighed  anchor,  and  in  picture  San  Domingo  rose  before 
us. 

He  felt  no  doubt  of  decent  welcome,  of  getting  his  ship. 
Fifteen  sail  had  gone  out  with  Ovando.  Turn  the  cases 
around,  and  he  would  have  given  Ovando  welcome,  he  would 
give  him  a  good  ship.  How  much  more  then  Christopherus 
Columbus!  The  enterprise  was  common  in  that  all  stood 
to  profit.  It  was  royal  errand,  world  service !  So  he  thought 
and  sailed  in  some  tranquillity  of  mind  for  San  Domingo. 

But  the  Adelantado  said  in  my  ear.  "  There  will  be  a 
vast  to-do !  Maybe  I'll  sail  the  Margarita  to  the  end."  He 
was  the  prophet ! 

It  was  late  June.  Hispaniola  rose,  faint,  faint,  upon  the 
horizon.  All  crowded  to  look.  There,  there  before  us 
dwelled  countrymen,  fellow  mariners,  fellow  adventurers 
forth  from  the  Old  into  the  New!  It  was  haven;  it  was 
Spain  in  the  West;  it  was  Our  Colony. 

The  Admiral  gazed,  and  I  saw  the  salt  tears  blind  his 
eyes.  His  son  was  beside  him.  He  put  his  hand  upon  the 
youth's  shoulder.  "  Fernando,  there  it  is  —  I  found  and 
named  it  Hispaniola !  " 

The  weather  hung  perilously  still,  the  sea  glass.  It  was 
so  clear  above,  below,  around,  that  we  seemed  to  see  by 
added  light,  and  yet  there  was  no  more  sunlight.  All  the 
air  had  thinned,  it  seemed,  away.  Every  sail  fell  slack. 
Colors  were  slightly  altered.  The  Admiral  said,  "There 
is  coming  a  great  storm." 

The  boy  Fernando  laughed.    "  Why,  father !  " 

"Stillness  before  the  leap,"  said  the  Admiral.  "Quiet 
at  home  because  the  legions  have  gone  to  muster." 

It  was  hard  to  think  it,  but  too  often  had  it  been  proved 
that  he  was  in  the  secret  of  water  and  air.  Now  Bar 
tholomew  Fiesco  the  Genoese  said.  "  Aye,  aye !  They  say 
on  the  ships  at  Genoa  that  when  it  came  to  weather,  even 
when  you  were  a  youngster,  you  were  fair  necromancer !  " 

The  sky  rested  blue,  but  the  sea  became  green  oil.  That 
night  there  were  all  around  us  fields  of  phosphorescence. 

[275] 


1492 


About  midnight  these  vanished;  it  was  very  black  for  all 
the  stars,  and  we  seemed  to  hear  a  sighing  as  from  a  giant 
leagues  away.  This  passed,  and  the  morning  broke,  silent 
and  tranquil,  azure  sky  and  azure  sea,  and  not  so  sharply 
clear  as  yesterday.  The  great  calm  wind  again  pushed  us. 

Hispaniola!  Hispaniola!  Her  mountains  and  her  palms 
before  us. 

We  coasted  to  the  river  Hayna  and  the  Spanish  city  of 
San  Domingo.  Three  hours  from  sunset  down  in  harbor 
plunged  our  anchors,  down  rattled  our  sails. 

The  Consolation's  long  boat  danced  by  her  side.  The 
Admiral  would  send  to  land  but  one  boat,  and  in  it  for  envoy 
Pedro  de  Terreros,  a  well-speaking  man  and  known  to  Don 
Nicholas  de  Ovando.  Terreros  was  envoy,  but  with  him 
the  Admiral  sent  Juan  Lepe,  who  through  the  years  in 
Hispaniola  had  tried  to  heal  the  sick,  no  matter  what  their 
faction.  The  Admiral  stayed  upon  the  Consolation,  the 
Adelantado  upon  the  Margarita. 

The  harbor  was  filled  with  ships.  We  counted  eighteen. 
We  guessed  that  they  were  preparing  for  sailing,  the  little 
boats  so  came  and  went  between.  And  our  entry  had  caused 
excitement.  Ship  and  small  boat  hailed  us,  but  to  them  we 
did  not  answer.  Then  came  toward  us  from  the  shore  a 
long  boat  with  the  flag  of  Spain  and  in  it  an  official. 

Our  wharf!  Juan  Lepe  had  left  it  something  more  than 
a  year  and  a  half  ago.  San  Domingo  was  grown,  many 
Spaniards  having  sailed  for  the  west  in  that  time.  I  saw 
strangers  and  strangers,  though  of  Spanish  blood.  Walk 
ing  with  the  officer  and  his  people  to  the  Governor's  house 
gave  time  for  observation  and  swift  thought.  Throng  was 
forming.  One  had  early  cried  from  out  it,  "  That's  the 
doctor,  Juan  Lepe!  Tis  the  Admiral  out  there!"  That 
it  was  the  Admiral  seemed  to  spread.  San  Domingo  buzzed 
like  the  air  about  a  hive  the  first  spring  day.  Farther  on, 
out  pushed  a  known  voice.  "  Welcome,  welcome,  Doctor !  " 
I  looked,  and  that  was  Sancho.  Luis  Torres  was  in  Spain. 
I  had  seen  him  in  Cadiz.  The  crowd  was  thickening  — 

[276] 


14pQ 


men  came  running — there  was  cry  and  query.  Suddenly 
rose  a  cheer.  "  The  Admiral  and  the  Adelantado  in  their 
little  ships !  "  At  once  came  a  counter-shout.  "  The  Gen 
oese!  The  Traitors !" 

I  saw  —  I  saw  —  I  saw  that  there  was  some  wisdom  in 
King  Ferdinand! 

The  Governor's  house  that  used  to  be  the  Viceroy's  house. 
State  —  state!  They  had  cried  out  upon  the  Genoese's 
keeping  it  —  but  Don  Nicholas  de  Ovando  kept  more.  While 
we  waited  in  the  antechamber  I  saw,  out  of  window  and  the 
tail  of  my  eye,  files  of  soldiery  go  by.  Ovando  would  not 
have  riot  and  disturbance  if  twenty  Admirals  hung  in  the 
offing!  He  kept  us  waiting.  He  would  be  cool  and  dis 
tant  and  impregnable  behind  the  royal  word.  Juan  Lepe 
saw  plainly  that  that  lavish  and  magnanimous  person  aboard 
the  Consolation  would  not  meet  here  his  twin.  The  Adelan 
tado  must  still,  I  thought,  sail  the  Margarita.  And  yet, 
looking  at  all  things,  that  exchange  of  ships  should  have 
been  made.  A  Spaniard,  wheresoever  found,  should  have 
cried  "  Aye !  "  to  it. 

The  Governor's  officer  who  still  kept  by  us  was  not  averse 
to  talk.  All  those  preparing  ships  in  the  harbor?  Why, 
they  were  the  returning  fleet  that  brought  Don  Nicholas 
in.  Sailing  to-morrow  —  hence  the  hubbub  on  land  and 
water.  They  had  a  lading  now !  He  gazed  a  moment  at  us, 
and  as  we  seemed  sober  folk,  saw  no  reason  why  we  should 
not  have  the  public  news.  Forth  it  came  like  water  out  of 
bottle.  Bobadilla  was  returning.  "  A  prisoner  ?  "  "  Why, 
hardly  that!  Roldan,  too."  "A  prisoner?"  "Why,  not 
precisely  so."  Many  of  the  old  regime  —  Bobadilla's  regime 
—  were  returning  and  Roldan  men  likewise.  Invited  to  go, 
in  fact,  though  with  no  other  harsh  treatment.  One  of 
the  ships  would  be  packed  with  Indian  rebels,  Gwarionex 
among  them.  Chained,  all  these.  The  notable  thing  about 
the  fleet,  after  all  that,  was  the  gold  that  was  going!  A 
treasure  fleet!  Bobadilla  had  gathered  gold  for  the  crown. 
He  was  takimg,  they  said,  a  sultan's  ransom.  He  had  one 

[277] 


piece  that  weighed,  they  said,  five  thousand  castellanos. 
Roldan  too  had  gold.  And  the  Governor  was  sending  no 
man  knew  how  much.  More  than  that  — "  He  looked 
at  us,  then,  being  a  kindly  soul,  quoth,  "  Why  shouldn't  the 
Admiral  know?  Alonso  de  Carvajal  has  put  on  board  the 
Santa  Clara  for  the  Admiral's  agent  in  Cadiz  five  thousand 
pieces  —  fully  due,  as  the  Governor  had  allowed." 

Door  was  opened.  "  His  Excellency  the  Governor  will 
see  you  now." 

Why  tarry  over  a  short  story?  Don  Nicholas  de  Ovando 
pleaded  smoothly  the  Sovereign's  most  strict  command 
which  in  any  to  disobey  were  plain  malfeasance!  As  he 
spoke  he  looked  dreamily  toward  blue  harbor  and  the  Con 
solation.  And  as  to  a  ship!  Every  ship,  except  two  or 
three,  old  and  crippled*  and  in  the  hands  of  the  menders, 
no  whit  better  it  was  certain  than  the  Margarita,  was  laded 
and  on  the  point  of  sailing.  Literally  he  had  none,  absolutely 
not  one!  He  understood  that  Jamaica  was  expressly  named 
to  the  Admiral  for  resting  and  overhauling.  Careen  the 
Margarita  there  and  rectify  the  wrong  —  which  he  trusted 
was  not 'great.  If  ships  had  been  idle  and  plentiful  —  but 
he  could  not  splinter  any  from  the  fleet  that  was  sailing 
to-morrow.  He  was  sorry  —  and  trusted*  that  the  Admiral 
was  in  health  ? 

Terreros  said,  "  His  ship  is  worse  off  than-  you  think, 
Excellency.  He  has  great  things  to  do,  confided  into  his 
hands  by  the  Sovereigns  who  treasure  him  who  found  all. 
Here  is  emergency.  May  we  carry  to  him  invitation  to 
enter  San  Domingo  for  an  hour  and  himself  present  his 
case?" 

But  no  —  but  no  — but  no !    Thrice  that ! 

The  Governor  rose.    Audience  was  over. 

For  the  rest  he  was  courteous  —  asked  of  the  voyage  — 
and  of  the  Admiral's  notion  of  the  Strait.  "  A  great  man !  " 
he  said.  "  A  Thinker,  a  Seer."  He  sent  him  messages  of 
courtesy  three-piled.  And  so  we  parted. 

This  was  the  Governor  of  whom  one  said  long  afterwards, 
[278] 


"  He  was  a  good  governor  for  white  men,  but  not  for  In 
dians." 

As  life  and  destiny  would  have  it,  in  the  place  without 
the  Governor's  house  I  met  him  who  was  to  say  it.  Ter- 
reros  and  I  with  the  same  escort  were  for  the  water  side, 
the  Consolation's  long  boat.  The  crowd  kept  with  us,  but 
His  Excellency's  soldiers  held  it  orderly.  Yet  there  were 
shouts  and  messages  for  the  Admiral,  and  for  this  one  and 
that  one  aboard  our  ships.  Then  came  a  young  man,  said 
a  word  to  the  officer  with  us,  and  put  out  his  hand  to  mine. 
It  was  that  Bartolome  de  Las  Casas  with  whom  I  had 
walked  the  white  road,  under  moon,  before  the  inn  between 
Seville  and  Cordova. 


[279] 


CHAPTER  XXXIX 

THE  Admiral  took  it  with  some  Italian  words  under 
breath.  Then  he  wheeled  and  left  the  cabin.  A  minute 
later  I  heard  the  master  from  the  Consolation  hail  the 
Margarita  that  lay  close  by.  "  Margarita,  ahoy !  Orders ! 
Clap  on  sail  and  follow ! "  The  trumpet  cried  to  the  Juana 
and  the  San  Sebastian,  "  Make  ready  and  follow !  " 

Our  mariners  ran  to  make  sail.  But  the  long  boat  waited 
for  some  final  word  that  they  said  was  going  ashore.  Ter- 
reros  would  take  it.  We  were  so  close  that  we  saw  the 
yet  watching  crowd,  wharf  and  water  side,  and  the  sun 
glinting  upon  Ovando's  order-keeping  soldiery.  The  Ad 
miral  called  me  to  him.  I  read  the  letter  to  the  Governor, 
Terreros  would  deliver  to  our  old  officer,  probably  wait 
ing  on  the  wharf  to  see  us  quite  away.  The  letter  —  there 
was  naught  in  it  but  the  sincerest,  gravest  warning  that  a 
hurricane  was  at  hand.  A  great  one;  he  knew  the  signs. 
It  might  strike  this  shore  late  to-morrow  or  the  next  day 
or  the  next.  Wherefore  he  begged  his  Excellency  the  Gov 
ernor  to  tarry  the  fleet's  sailing.  Let  it  wait  at  least  three 
days  and  see  if  his  words  came  not  true !  Else  there  would 
be  scattering  of  ships  and  destruction  —  and  he  rested  his 
Excellency's  servant.  El  Almirante. 

Terreros  went,  delivered  that  letter,  and  returned  to  the 
Juana.  And  our  sails  were  made  and  our  anchors  lifted,  and 
it  was  sunset  and  clear  and  smooth,  and  every  palm  frond 
of  San  Domingo  showed.  Eighteen  ships  in  harbor,  and 
fifteen,  they  said,  going  to  Spain,  and  around  and  upon  them 
all  bustle  of  preparation.  One  saw  in  fancy  Bobadilla  and 

[280] 


Roldan  and'  Gwarionex  and  the  much  gold,  including  that 
piece  of  virgin  ore  weighing  five  thousand  castellanos.  Fif 
teen  ships  preparing  for  Spain,  and  San  Domingo,  of  which 
the  Adelantado  had  laid  first  stone,  and  a  strange,  green, 
sunset  sky.  And  the  Consolation,  the  Margarita,  the  Juana 
and  the  San  Sebastian  away  to  the  west,  to  the  sound  of 
music,  for  the  Admiral  cried  to  our  musicians,  "  Play,  play 
in  God's  name !  " 

Night  passed.  Morning  broke.  So  light  was  the  wind 
that  the  shore  went  by  slowly.  There  gathered  an  impatience. 
"  If  we  must  to  Jamaica,  what  use  in  following  every  curve 
of  Hispaniola  that  is  forbid  us?  "  At  noon  the  wind  almost 
wholly  failed,  then  after  three  hours  of  this  rose  with  a 
pouncing  suddenness  to  a  good  breeze.  We  rounded  a  point 
thronged  with  palms.  Before  us  a  similar  point,  and  be 
tween  the  two  that  bent  gently  each  to  the  other,  slept  a 
deep  and  narrow  bight.  "  Enter  here,"  said  the  Admiral. 

We  anchored.  There  was  again  a  strange  sunset,  green 
and  gold  in  the  lower  west,  but  above  an  arc  of  clouds 
dressed  in  saffron  and  red.  And  now  we  could  hear,  though 
from  very  far  off,  a  deep  and  low  murmur,  and  whether  it 
was  the  forest  or  the  sea  or  both  we  did  not  know.  But 
now  all  the  old  mariners  said  there  would  be  storm,  and  we 
were  glad  of  the  little  bay  between  the  protecting  horns. 
The  Admiral  named  it  Bay  of  Comfort.  The  Consolacion, 
Margarita,  Juana,  San  Sebastian,  lay  under  bare  masts,  deep 
within  the  bight. 

The  next  day,  an  hour  before  noon,  arrived  that  king 
hurricane. 

They  are  known  now,  these  storms  of  Europe's  west  and 
Asia's  east.  Take  all  our  Mediterranean  storms  and  heap 
them  into  one ! 

Through  the  day  our  anchors  held  in  our  Bay  of  Com 
fort,  and  we  blessed  our  Admiral.  But  at  eve  the  Margarita, 
the  Juana  and  the  San  Sebastian  lost  bottom,  feared  break 
ing  against  the  rocky  shore  and  stood  out  for  sea  room.  The 
Consolacion  stayed  fast,  and  at  dawn  was  woe  to  see  noth- 

[281] 


ing  at  all  of  the  three.  In  the  howling  tempest  and  the 
quarter  light  we  knew  not  if  they  were  sunk  or  saved. 

With  the  second  evening  the  hurricane  sank;  at  dawn 
the  seas,  though  running  high,  no  longer  pushed  against  us 
like  white-maned  horses  of  Death.  We  waited  till  noon, 
then  the  sea  being  less  mountainous,  quitted  the  Bay  of 
Comfort  and  went  to  look  for  the  three  ships. 

The  Juana  and  the  San  Sebastian  we  presently  sighted 
and  rejoiced  thereat.  But  the  Margarita!  We  saw  her 
nowhere,  and  the  Admiral's  face  grew  gray.  His  son  Fer 
nando  pressed  close  to  him.  "  My  uncle  is  a  bold  man,  and 
they  say  the  second  seaman  in  the  world!  Let's  hope  — 
and  hope  —  and  hope !  " 

"  Why,  aye !  "  said  the  Admiral.  "  I'm  a  good  scholar 
in  hope.  I  told  them  in  San  Domingo  the  ship  was  not 
seaworthy.  What  cared  they  for  that?  They  were  will 
ing  that  all  of  my  name  should  drown!  God  judge  between 
us!" 

The  Juana  came  close  and  shouted  that  at  eve  they  had 
seen  the  Adelantado  in  great  trouble,  close  to  shore.  Then 
came  down  the  night  and  once  or  twice  they  thought  they 
made  out  a  light  but  they  were  not  sure. 

In  this  West  the  weather  after  a  hurricane  is  weather 
of  heaven.  We  coasted  in  a  high  sea,  but  with  safety  under 
a  sky  one  sapphire,  and  with  a  right  wind,  —  and  suddenly, 
rounding  a  palmy  headland,  we  saw  the  Margarita  riding 
safe  in  a  little  bay  like  the  Bay  of  Comfort.  The  Admiral 
fell  upon  his  knees. 

The  Margarita  was  safe  indeed  but  was  so  crazed  a  ship ! 
The  San  Sebastian,  too,  was  in  bad  case.  Hispaniola  truly, 
but  some  leagues  from  San  Domingo,  and  a  small,  desert, 
lonely  bay!  We  rested  here  because  rest  we  must,  and 
mended  our  ships.  Days  —  three  days  —  a  week.  The  Ad 
miral  and  the  Adelantado  kept  our  people  close  to  the  ships. 
There  was  no  Indian  village,  but  a  party  sent  to  gather 
fruit  found  two  Indians  hiding,  watching  from  a  thicket. 
These,  brought  to  the  Admiral,  proved  to  be  from  a  village 

[282] 


between  us  and  San  Domingo.  They  had  been  in  that  town 
after  the  hurricane.  It  had  uprooted  the  great  tree  before 
the  Governor's  house  and  thrown  down  a  part  of  the  church. 

"Had  the  fleet  sailed?" 

Yes,  it  seemed.  The  day  before  the  storm.  But  these 
men  knew  nothing  of  its  fortunes.  He  kept  the  Indians 
with  us  until  we  sailed,  so  as  not  to  spread  news  of  where 
we  were,  then  gave  them  presents  and  let  them  go. 

But  on  the  day  we  set  to  sail  we  did  not  sail,  for  along 
the  coast  and  into  our  bay  came  a  small  caravel,  going  with 
men  to  our  fort  in  Xaragua.  The  captain  —  Ruy  Lopez  it 
was  —  met  us  as  a  wonder,  San  Domingo  having  held  that 
the  hurricane  must  have  sunk  us,  the  sea  swallowed  us  up. 
He  anchored,  took  his  boat  and  came  to  the  Admiral  upon 
the  Consolation. 

"  Senor,  I  am  glad  to  see  you  living ! " 

"  Yes,  I  live,  Senor.     Are  you  well  in  San  Domingo  ? " 

"  Well  in  body,  but  sick  at  heart  because  of  the  fleet." 

"Because  of  the  fleet?" 

"  The  fleet,  Senor,  was  a  day  away  when  the  hurricane 
burst.  Half  the  ships  were  split,  lost,  sunken !  The  others, 
broken,  returned  to  us.  One  only  went  on  to  Spain.  The 
gold  ships  are  lost.  Only,  they  say,  the  gold  that  pertains  to 
you,  goes  on  safely  on  that  one  to  Cadiz.  Gwarionex  the 
Indian  is  drowned,  and  Bobadilla  and  Roldan  are  drowned." 


[283] 


CHAPTER  XL 

THE  Indians  called  it  Guanaja,  but  the  Admiral,  the 
Isle  of  Pines.  It  was  far,  far,  from  Hispaniola,  far, 
far,  from  Jamaica,  over  a  wide  and  stormy  sea,  reached 
after  many  days  of  horrible  weather.  Guanaja,  small,  lofty, 
covered  with  rich  trees  among  which  stood  in  numbers  the 
pines  we  loved  because  they  talked  of  home.  To  the  south, 
far  off,  across  leagues  of  water,  we  made  out  land.  Main 
land  it  seemed  to  us,  stretching  across  the  south,  losing  it 
self  in  the  eastern  haze.  The  weather  suddenly  became  bliss 
ful.  We  had  sweet  rest  in  Guanaja. 

A  few  Indians  lived  upon  this  small  island,  like,  yet  in 
some  ways  unlike  all  those  we  knew.  But  they  were  rude 
and  simple  and  they  talked  always  of  gods  to  the  west.  We 
had  rested  a  week  when  there  came  a  true  wonder  to  us 
from  the  west. 

That  was  a  canoe,  of  the  mightiest  length  we  had  yet 
seen,  long  as  a  tall  tree,  eight  feet  wide,  no  less,  with  twenty- 
five  rowing  Indians  —  tall,  light  bronze  men  —  with  cotton 
cloth  about  their  loins.  Middle  of  this  giant  canoe  was 
built  a  hut  or  arbor,  thatched  with  palm.  Under  this  sat  a 
splendid  barbarian,  tall  and  strong,  with  a  crown  of  feathers 
and  a  short  skirt  and  mantle  of  cotton.  Beside  him  sat  two 
women  wrapped  in  cotton  mantles,  and  at  their  feet  two 
boys  and  a  young  maid.  All  these  people  wore  golden  orna 
ments  about  their  necks. 

It  was  in  a  kind  of  amaze  that  we  watched  this  dragon 
among  canoes  draw  near  to  and  pass  the  ships  and  to  the 
shore  where  we  had  built  a  hut  for  the  Admiral  and  the 
Adelantado  and  the  youth  Fernando,  and  to  shelter  the  rest 

[284] 


of  us  a  manner  of  long  booth.  It  seemed  that  it  was  upon  a 
considerable  voyage,  and  wanting  water,  put  in  here.  The 
Guana j a  Indians  cried,  "  Yucatan!  Yucatan!  " 

The  Admiral  stepped  down  to  meet  these  strangers.  His 
face  glowed.  Here  at  last  was  difference  beyond  the  differ 
ence  of  the  Paria  folk ! 

We  found  that  they  were  armed,  —  the  newcomers. 
Strangely  made  swords  of  wood  and  flint,  lances,  light 
bucklers  and  hatchets  of  true  copper.  They  were  strong 
and  fearless,  and  they  seemed  to  say,  "  Here  before  us  is 
great  wonder,  but  wonder  does  not  subdue  our  minds !  " 

Their  language  had,  it  is  true,  the  flow  and  clink  of  In 
dian  tongues,  yet  was  greatly  different.  We  had  work  to 
understand.  But  they  were  past  masters  of  gesture. 

The  Admiral  sent  for  presents.  Again,  these  did  not 
ravish,  though  the  cacique  and  his  family  and  the  rowers 
regarded  with  interest  such  strange  matters.  But  they 
seemed  to  say,  "  You  yourselves  and  your  fantastic  high 
canoes  made,  it  is  evident,  of  many  trees,  are  the  wonder !  " 

But  we,  the  Spaniards,  searching  now  through  ten  years 
—  long  as  the  War  of  Troy  —  for  Asia  in  which  that  Troy 
and  all  wealth  beside  had  been  placed,  thought  that  at  last 
we  had  come  upon  traces.  In  that  canoe  were  many  articles 
of  copper,  well  enough  wrought;  a  great  copper  bell,  a 
mortar  and  pestle,  hatchets  and  knives.  Moreover  in  Yuca 
tan  were  potters !  In  place  of  the  eternal  calabash  here  were 
jars  and  bowls  of  baked  clay,  well-made,  well-shaped,  marked 
with  strange  painted  figures.  They  had  pieces  of  cotton 
cloth,  well-woven  and  great  as  a  sail.  Surely,  with  this 
stuff,  before  long  the  notion  of  a  sail  would  arise  in  these 
minds !  We  saw  cotton  mantles  and  other  articles  of  dress, 
both  white  and  gayly  dyed  or  figured.  Clothing  was  not  to 
them  the  brute  amaze  we  had  found  it  with  our  eastern 
Indians.  Matters  enough,  strange  to  our  experience,  were 
being  carried  in  that  great  canoe.  We  found  they  had  a 
bread,  not  cassava,  but  made  from  maize,  and  a  drink  much 
like  English  ale,  and  also  a  food  called  cacao. 

[285] 


Gold!  All  of  them  wore  gold,  disks  of  it,  hanging  upon 
their  breasts.  The  cacique  had  a  thin  band  of  gold  across 
his  forehead;  together  with  a  fillet  of  cotton  it  held  the 
bright  feathers  of  his  head  dress. 

They  traded  the  gold  —  all  except  the  coronal  and  a  sun- 
like  plate  upon  the  breast  of  the  cacique  — •  willingly  enough. 

Whence?    Whence? 

It  seemed  from  Yucatan,  on  some  embassy  to  another 
coast  or  island.  Yucatan.  West  —  west!  And  beyond 
Yucatan  richer  still;  oh,  great  riches,  gold  and  clothing  and 
—  we  thought  it  from  their  contemptuous  signs  toward  our 
booths  and  their  fingers  drawn  in  the  air  —  true  houses  and 
temples. 

Farther  on  —  farther  on  —  farther  west !  Forever  that 
haunting,  deluding  cry  —  the  cry  that  had  deluded  since 
Guanahani  that  we  called  San  Salvador.  Now  many  of  our 
adventurers  and  mariners  caught  fire  from  that  cacique's 
wide  gestures.  The  Adelantado  no  less.  "  Cristoforo,  it 
looks  satisfaction  at  last!"  And  the  young  Fernando, — 
"  Father,  let  us  sail  west !  " 

The  Admiral  was  trying  to  come  at  that  Strait.  Earnestly, 
through  Juan  Lepe  and  through  a  Jamaican  that  we  had  with 
us,  he  strove  to  give  and  take  light.  Yucatan?  Was  there 
sea  beyond  Yucatan?  Did  sea  like  a  river  cut  Yucatan? 
Might  a  canoe  —  might  canoes  like  ours  —  go  by  it  from 
this  sea  to  that  sea? 

But  nothing  did  we  get  save  that  Yucatan  was  a  great 
country  with  sea  here  and  sea  there.  "  A  point  of  the  main 
like  Cuba !  "  said  the  Admiral.  Behind  it,  to  the  north  of  it, 
it  seemed  to  us,  the  greater  country  where  were  the  gold, 
the  rich  clothing,  the  temples.  But  we  made  out  that  Yuca 
tan  from  sea  to  sea  was  many  days'  march.  And  as  for 
the  country  beyond  it,  that  went  on,  they  thought,  forever. 
They  called  this  country  Anahuac  and  they  meant  the  same 
that  years  afterward  Hernando  Cortes  found.  But  we  did 
not  know  this.  We  did  not  know  that  strange  people  and 
their  great  treasure. 

[286] 


1499 


The  Admiral  looked  out  to  sea.  "  I  have  cried,  '  West  — 
west  —  west ! '  through  a-many  years !  Yucatan !  But  I 
make  out  no  sea-passage  thence  into  Vasco  da  Gama's  India ! 
And  I  am  sworn  to  the  Queen  and  King  Ferdinand  this  time 
to  find  it.  So  it's  south,  it's  south,  brother  and  son !  " 

So,  our  casks  being  full,  our  fruit  gathered,  the  sky  clear 
and  the  wind  fair,  we  left  the  west  to  others  and  sailed  to 
find  the  strait  in  the  south.  When  we  raised  our  sails  that 
dragon  canoe  cried  out  and  marveled.  But  the  cacique  with 
the  coronal  asked  intelligent  questions.  The  Admiral  showed 
him  the  way  of  it,  mast  and  spar  and  sail  cloth,  and  how 
we  made  the  wind  our  rower.  He  listened,  and  at  the  last 
he  gave  Christopherus  Columbus  for  that  instruction  the 
gold  disk  from  his  breast.  I  do  not  know  —  Yucatan  might 
have  gone  on  from  that  and  itself  developed  true  ship.  If  it 
had  long  enough  time!  But  Europe  was  at  its  doors. 

The  canoe  kept  with  us  for  a  little,  then  shouted  to  see  the 
fair  breeze  fill  our  sails  and  carry  us  from  them. 

It  was  mid-August.  We  came  to  a  low-lying  land  with 
hills  behind.  Here  we  touched  and  found  Indians,  though 
none  such  as  Yucatan  seemed  to  breed.  It  was  Sunday  and 
under  great  trees  we  had  mass,  having  with  us  the  Fran 
ciscan  Pedro  of  Valencia.  From  this  place  we  coasted  three 
days,  when  again  we  landed.  Here  the  Indians  were  of  a 
savage  aspect,  painted  with  black  and  white  and  yellow  and 
uttering  loud  cries.  We  thought  that  they  were  eaters  of 
men's  flesh.  Likewise  they  had  a  custom  of  wearing  ear 
rings  of  great  weight,  some  of  copper,  some  of  that  mixed 
gold  we  called  guanin.  So  heavy  were  these  ornaments 
that  they  pulled  the  ear  down  to  mid-throat.  The  Admiral 
named  this  place  the  Coast  of  the  Ear. 

On  we  sailed,  and  on,  never  out  of  sight  of  land  to  star 
board.  Day  by  day,  along  a  coast  that  now  as  a  whole  bent 
eastward.  And  yet  no  strait  —  no  way  through  into  the  sea 
into  which  poured  the  Ganges. 


[287] 


CHAPTER  XLI 

THE  weather  plagued  us.  The  rains  were  cataracts, 
the  lightning  blinding,  the  thunder  loud  enough  to 
wake  the  dead.  Day  after  day,  until  this  weather 
grew  to  seem  a  veritable  Will,  a  Demon  with  a  grudge 
against  us. 

The  Margarita  sailed  no  better;  she  sailed  worse.  The 
Admiral  considered  abandoning  her,  taking  the  Adelantado 
upon  the  Consolation  and  dividing  his  crew  among  the  three 
ships.  But  the  Adelantado's  pride  and  obstinacy  and  sea 
manship  were  against  that.  "  I'll  sail  her,  because  San 
Domingo  thinks  I  can !  " 

Stormy  days  and  nights,  and  the  Admiral  watching.  "  The 
Margarita!  Ho,  look  out!  Do  you  see  the  Margarita  I"' 

In  the  midst  of  foul  weather  came  foully  back  the  gout 
that  crippled  him.  I  would  have  had  him  stay  in  his  bed. 
"  I  cannot !  How  do  you  think  I  can  ?  "  In  the  end  he 
had  us  build  him  some  kind  of  shelter  upon  deck,  fastening 
there  a  bench  and  laying  a  pallet  upon  this.  Here,  propped 
against  the  wood,  covered  with  cloaks,  he  still  watched  the 
sea  and  how  went  our  ship  and  the  other  ships. 

Day  after  day  and  day  after  day!  Creeping  eastward 
along  a  bad  shore,  in  the  teeth  of  the  demon.  The  seas,  the 
winds,  the  enormous  rain  wore  us  out.  Men  grew  large- 
eyed.  If  we  slept  came  a  shriek  and  wakened  us.  We  would 
put  to  land,  but  the  wind  turned  and  thrust  us  out  again, 
or  we  found  no  harbor.  We  seemed  to  be  fixed  in  one  place 
while  time  rushed  by  us. 

Forecastle  began  to  say,  "  It  is  enchantment ! "  Pres- 
[288] 


ently  poop  echoed  it.  The  boy  Fernando  brought  it  to  his 
father.  "  Alonso  de  Zamorra  and  Bernardo  the  Apothecary 
say  that  demons  and  witches  are  against  us." 

"  The  Prince  of  the  Power  of  the  Air !  "  said  the  Ad 
miral.  "  It  may  be,  child !  Paynimry  against  Christianity. 
We  had  a  touch  of  the  same  quality  once  off  Cuba.  But 
is  it,  or  is  it  not,  Christian  men  shall  win!  And  send  me 
Bartholomew  Fiesco.  Such  talk  is  injury.  It  bores  men's 
courage  worse  than  the  teredo  a  ship's  bottom !  " 

We  thought  the  foul  weather  would  never  cease,  and  our 
toil  would  never  cease  —  then  lo!  at  the  point  of  despair 
the  sky  cleared  with  a  great  clap  of  light,  the  coast  turned 
sharply,  sheerly  south  —  he  named  the  great  cape,  Cape 
Gracias  a  Dios  —  and  we  ran  freely,  West  again. 

Coming  in  three  days  to  a  wide  river  mouth,  in  we  turned. 
The  shore  was  grown  with  reeds  that  would  do  for  giants' 
staffs.  On  mud  banks  we  saw  the  crocodile,  "  cayman " 
they  call  it.  Again  the  sky  hung  a  low,  gray  roof ;  a  thin 
wind  whistled,  but  for  all  that  it  was  deathly  hot.  Seeing 
no  men,  we  sent  two  boats  with  Diego  Mendez  up  the  stream. 
They  were  not  gone  a  half  league,  when,  watching  from  the 
Consolation  we  marked  a  strange  and  horrid  thing.  There 
came  without  wind  a  swelling  of  the  sea.  Our  ships  tossed 
as  in  tempest,  and  there  entered  the  river  a  wall  of  sea 
water.  Meeting  the  outward  passing  current,  there  ensued 
a  fury  with  whirlpools.  It  caught  the  boats.  Diego  Men 
dez  saved  his,  but  the  other  was  seized,  tossed  and  engulfed. 
Eight  men  drowned. 

The  thing  sank  as  it  had  come.  The  River  of  Disaster, 
we  named  it,  and  left  this  strip  of  coast  that  seemed  to  us 
gloomy  and  portentous.  "  Wizardry!  It's  not  to  be  lucky, 
this  voyage."  It  was  now  late  September. 

Next  day,  we  anchored,  it  being  most  clear  and  beautiful. 
We  lay  beside  a  verdurous  islet,  between  it  and  a  green  shore. 
Here  were  all  our  fruits,  and  we  thought  we  smelled  cinna 
mon  and  clove.  Across,  upon  the  main,  stood  a  small 
village.  Cariari  the  Indians  there  called  themselves.  They 

[289] 


149Q 


had  some  gold,  but  not  to  touch  that  canoe  from  Yucatan. 
Likewise  they  owned  a  few  cotton  mantles,  with  jars  of 
baked  clay,  and  we  saw  a  copper  hatchet.  But  they  did 
not  themselves  make  these  things.  They  had  drifted  to 
them,  we  thought,  from  a  people  far  more  skilled. 

The  Admiral  cried,  "  When  and  when  and  when  shall 
we  come  to  this  people  ?  " 

I  answered,  "  I  tell  you  what  is  in  my  mind,  and  I  have 
got  it,  I  think,  from  your  inmost  mind,  out  of  which  you 
will  not  let  it  come  forth  because  you  have  had  a  great 
theory  and  think  you  must  stand  to  it.  But  what  if  this 
that  you  have  underneath  is  a  greater  one?  What  if  the 
world  truly  is  larger  than  Alfraganus  or  the  ancients  thought? 
What  if  all  this  that  we  have  found  since  the  first  island 
and  that  means  only  beginnings  of  what  is  to  be  found; 
what  if  it  is  not  Asia  at  all?  What  if  it  is  a  land  mass, 
great  as  Europe  or  greater,  that  no  one  knew  anything  of? 
What  if  over  by  the  sunset  there  is  Ocean-Sea  again,  true 
ocean  and  as  many  leagues  to  Asia  as  to  Spain?  What  if 
they  cannot  lead  us  to  Quinsai,  Cambaluc  or  Zaiton,  or  to 
the  Ganges'  mouth,  or  Aurea  Chersonesus,  because  they 
never  heard  of  them,  and  they  have  no  ships  to  pass  again 
an  Ocean-Sea?  What  if  it  is  all  New,  and  all  the  maps 
have  to  be  redrawn?" 

He  looked  at  me  as  I  spoke,  steadily  and  earnestly.  What 
Juan  Lepe  said  was  not  the  first  entry  into  his  mind  of 
something  like  that.  But  he  was  held  by  that  great  mass 
of  him  that  was  bound  by  the  thinking  of  the  Venerable. 
He  was  free  far  and  far  beyond  most,  but  to  certain  things 
he  clung  like  a  limpet.  "  The  Earthly  Paradise !  "  he  said, 
and  he  looked  toward  that  Paria  that  we  thought  ran  across 
our  south.  "  When  our  first  parents  left  the  Earthly  Para 
dise,  they  and  their  sons  and  daughters  and  all  the  peoples 
to  come  wandered  by  foot  into  Chaldea  and  Arabia.  So 
it  could  not  be !  "  His  blue-gray  eyes  under  that  great 
brow  and  shock  of  white  hair  regarded  the  south. 

This  faery  island  —  the  Garden  he  called  it  —  and  the 
[290] 


Cariari  who  came  to  us  from  the  main.  One  day  they  saw 
one  of  us  take  out  pen  and  inkhorn  and  write  down  their 
answers  to  our  many  questions.  Behind  us  lay  the  blue 
sea,  before  us  the  deep  groves  of  the  islet;  between  us  and 
the  rich  shade  stood  gathered  a  score  of  these  Indians.  They 
looked  at  the  one  seated  on  the  sand,  industriously  making 
black  marks  upon  a  white  sheet.  The  Indian  speaking 
stopped  short  and  put  up  an  arm  in  an  attitude  of  defense; 
another  minute  and  they  had  all  backed  from  us  into  the 
wood.  We  saw  only  excited,  huddled  eyes.  Then  one 
started  forth,  advancing  over  the  sand,  and  he  had  a  small 
gourd  filled  with  some  powder  which  he  threw  before  him. 
He  scattered  it  ceremonially  between  us  and  himself  and 
his  fellows,  a  slow,  measured  rite  with  muttered  words  and 
now  and  then  a  sharp,  rising  note. 

Cried  Juan  Sanchez  the  pilot,  "What's  he  doing?'' 

Juan  Lepe  answered  before  he  thought,  "  He  thinks  the 
notary  yonder  is  a  magician  and  the  pen  his  wand.  Some 
thing  is  being  done  to  them !  Counter-magic." 

"  Then  they  are  enchanters !  "  cried  Alonso  de  Zamorro. 

Our  great  cluster  gave  back.  "  Fix  an  arrow  and  shoot 
him  down !  "  That  was  Diego  de  Porras. 

The  Adelantado  turned  sharply.  "  Do  no  such  thing ! 
There  may  be  spells,  but  the  worst  spell  here  would  be  a 
battle !  "  We  let  fly  no  arrow,  but  the  belief  persisted  that 
here  was  seen  veritably  at  work  the  necromancy  that  all 
along  they  had  guessed. 

A  party  crossed  to  the  main  with  the  Adelantado  and 
pushed  a  league  into  as  tall  and  thick  and  shadowy  a  forest  as 
ever  we  met  in  all  our  wanderings.  Here  we  found  no  village, 
but  came  suddenly,  right  in  the  wood,  upon  a  very  great 
thatched  hut,  and  in  it,  upon  a  stone,  lay  in  state  a  dead 
cacique.  He  seemed  long  dead,  but  the  body  had  not  cor 
rupted;  it  was  saved  by  some  knowledge  such  as  had  the 
Egyptians.  A  crown  of  feathers  rested  upon  the  head  and 
gold  was  about  the  neck.  Around  the  place  stood  posts  and 
slabs  of  a  dark  wood  and  these  were  cut  and  painted  with 

[291] 


I  do  not  know  what  of  beast  and  bird  and  monstrous  idol 
forms.  We  stared.  The  place  was  shadowy  and  very 
silent.  At  last  with  an  oath  said  Francisco  de  Porras,  "  Take 
the  gold !  "  But  the  Adelantado  cried,  "  No !  "  and  going 
out  of  the  hut  that  was  almost  a  house  we  left  the  dead 
cacique  and  his  crown  and  mantle  and  golden  breastplate. 
Two  wooden  figures  at  the  door  grinned  upon  us.  We  saw 
now  what  seemed  a  light  brown  powder  strewed  around 
and  across  the  threshold.  One  of  our  men,  stooping,  took 
up  a  pinch  then  dropped  it  hastily.  "  It  is  the  same  they 
threw  against  us !  " 

"  Wizardry!  We'll  find  harm  from  them  yet!"  That 
song  crept  in  now  at  every  turn. 

We  sailed  from  the  Garden  south  by  east  along  the  end 
less  coast  that  no  strait  broke.  At  first  fair  weather  ran 
with  us.  But  the  Margarita  was  so  lame!  And  all  our 
other  ships  wrenched  and  worm-pierced.  And  the  Ad 
miral  was  growing  old  before  our  eyes.  Not  his  mind  or 
his  soul  but  his  frame. 

He  bettered,  left  his  bed  and  walked  the  deck.  And  then 
we  came  to  the  coast  we  called  the  Golden  Coast,  and  his 
hope  spread  great  wings  again,  and  if  our  mariners  talked 
of  magic  it  was  for  a  time  glistening  white. 

Gold-,  gold!  A  deep  bay,  thronged  at  the  mouth  with 
islets  so  green  and  fair,  they  were  marvel  to  us  who  were 
sated  with  islands  great  and  small.  We  entered  under  over 
hanging  trees,  and  out  at  once  to  us  shot  twenty  canoes. 
The  Indians  within  wore  gold  in  amount  and  purity  far 
beyond  anything  in  ten  years.  Oh,  our  ships  could  scarce 
contain  their  triumph !  The  Admiral  looked  a  dreamer  who 
comes  to  the  bliss  center  in  his  dream.  Gold  was  ever  to 
him  symbol  and  mystery.  He  did  not  look  upon  it  as  a 
buyer  of  strife  and  envy,  idleness  and  soft  luxury;  but  as 
a  buyer  of  crusades,  ships  and  ships,  discoveries  and  dis 
coveries,  and  Christ  to  enter  heathendom. 

Gold!  Discs  of  great  size,  half-moons,  crescent  moons, 
pierced  for  a  cotton  string.  Small  golden  beasts  and  birds, 

[292] 


poorly  carved  but  golden.  They  traded  freely ;  we  gathered 
gold.  And  there  was  more  and  more,  they  said,  at  Veragua, 
wherever  that  might  be,  and  south  and  east  it  seemed  to  be. 

Veragua!  We  would  go  there.  Again  we  hoisted  sail 
and  in  our  ships,  now  all  unseaworthy,  crept  again  in  a  bad 
wind  along  the  coast  of  gold,  —  Costa  Rico.  At  last  we 
saw  many  smokes  from-  the  land.  That  would  be  a  large 
Indian  village.  We  beat  toward  it,  found  a  river  mouth  and 
entered.  But  Veragua  must  have  heard  of  us  from  a  swift 
land  traveler.  When  a  boat  from  each  ship  would  approach 
the  land  —  it  was  in  the  afternoon,  the  sun  westering  fast 
—  a  sudden  burst  of  a  most  melancholy  and  awful  din  came 
from  the  forest  growing  close  to  water  side. 

One  of  our  men  cried  "  Wizards !  "  The  Admiral  spoke 
from  the  stern  of  the  long  boat.  "  And  what  if  they  be 
wizards  ?  We  may  answer,  '  We  are  Christians !  ' 

The  furious  din  continued  but  now  we  were  nearer.  "  Be 
sides,"  he  said,  "  those  are  great  shells  and  drums." 

Our  rowers  held  off.  Out  of  the  forest  on  to  the  narrow 
beach  started  several  hundred  shell-blowing,  drum-beating 
barbarians,  marvelously  feathered  and  painted  and  with 
bows  and  arrows  and  wooden  swords. 

An  arrow  stuck  in  the  side  of  our  boat,  others  fell  short. 
The  Admiral  rose,  tall,  broad-shouldered,  though  lean  as 
winter  where  there  is  winter,  with  hair  as  white  as  milk. 
He  held  in  his  hand  a  string  of  green  beads  and  another  of 
hawk  bells  which  he  made  to  ring,  but  he  did  not  depend 
more  upon  them  than  upon  what  he  held  within  him  of 
powerful  and  pacific.  He  sent  his  voice,  which  he  could 
make  deep  as  a  drum  and  reaching  as  one  of  those  great 
shells.  "  Friends  —  friends !  Bringing  Christ !  " 

An  arrow  sang  past  him.  His  son  would  have  drawn  him 
down,  but,  "  No  —  no !  "  and  "  Friends  —  friends !  Bring 
ing  Christ!" 

And  whether  they  thought  that  "  Christ "  was  the  beads 
and  the  bell,  or  whether  the  bowman  in  him  did  send  over 
good  will  and  make  it  to  enter  their  hearts,  or  whether  it 

[293] 


was  somewhat  of  both,  they  did  suddenly  grow  friendly. 
Whereupon  we  landed. 

Gold !  We  took  much  gold  from  this  place.  One  of  our 
men,  touched  by  the  sun,  sat  and  babbled.  "  Oh,  the  faith 
ful  golden  coast!  Oh,  the  gold  that  is  to  come!  Great 
golden  ships  sailing  across  blue  sea!  A  hundred  —  no,  a 
thousand  —  what  do  I  say  ?  A  million  Indians  with  baskets 
long  and  wide  on  their  backs  and  the  baskets  filled  with 
gold!  The  baskets  are  so  great  and  the  gold  so  heavy  that 
the  Indians  are  bowed  down  till  they  go  on  all  fours.  Gold, 
—  a  mountain  of  pure  gold  and  every  Spaniard  in  Spain 
and  a  few  Italians  —  golden  kings  —  "  When  we  had  all  we 
could  get,  up  sail  and  on! 

Sail  on  and  on  along  the  golden  coast  of  Veragua !  Come 
to  a  river  and  land,  for  all  that  again  we  heard  drums  and 
those  great  shells  strongly  blown.  Make  peace  and  trade. 
And  here  again  was  gold,  gold,  gold.  We  were  now  as 
sured  that  the  main  was  far  richer  than  any  island.  Turbu 
lent  hope,  —  that  was  the  chief  lading  now  of  the  four 
ships.  Gold!  Gold!  Golden  moon  disks  and  golden  rude 
figures.  We  found  a  lump  of  gold  wrought  like  a  maize 
ear. 

What  was  beyond  that,  by  itself  under  trees,  we  found  an 
ancient,  broken,  true  wall,  stone  and  lime.  The  stones  were 
great  ones,  set  truly,  with  care.  The  wall  was  old ;  the  re 
mainder  of  house,  if  house  or  temple  there  had  been,  broken 
from  it.  Now  the  forest  overran  all.  We  did  not  know 
when  or  by  whom  it  was  built,  and  we  found  no  more  like 
it.  But  here  was  true  masonry.  All  of  us  said  that  the 
world  of  the  main  was  not  the  world  of  the  islands. 

Ciguarre.  These  Indians  declared  it  was  Ciguarre  we 
should  seek.  Now  that  we  were  in  Veragua  —  seek  Ciguarre. 

So  we  sailed  beyond  Veragua  hunting  the  strait  which 
we  must  pass  through  to  Ganges  and  Ind  of  old  history. 


[294] 


CHAPTER  XLII 

PUERTO  BELLO!  Beautiful  truly,  and  a  harbor 
where  might  ride  a  navy.  But  no  gold;  and  now 
came  back  very  evilly  the  evil  weather.  Seven  days  a 
blast  rocked  us.  We  strained  eyes  to  see  if  the  Margarita 
yet  lived.  The  San  Sebastian  likewise  was  in  trouble.  No 
break  for  seven  days.  It  was  those  enchanters  of  Cariari  — 
magic  asleep  for  a  while  but  now  awake ! 

Storm.  And  two  ships  nigh  to  foundering.  When  wind 
sank  and  blue  came  back,  we  left  Puerto  Bello  and  turned 
again  south  by  east,  but  now  with  crazy,  crazy  ships,  weather- 
wrenched  and  worm-eaten,  teredo  pierced.  They  looked  old, 
so  old,  with  their  whipped  and  darkened  sails.  And  when 
we  dropped  anchor  in  some  bight  there  was  no  gold,  but 
all  night  we  heard  that  harsh  blowing  of  shells  and  beating 
of  drums. 

Francisco  and  Diego  de  Porras,  Alonso  de  Zamorra, 
Pedro  de  Villetoro,  Bernardo  the  Apothecary  and  others,  the 
most  upon  the  Consolation,  others  on  the  Margarita  and  the 
Juana,  now  began  to  brew  mutiny. 

We  sailed  on,  and  upon  this  forlorn  coast  we  met  no  more 
gold.  Our  ships  grew  so  worn  that  now  at  any  threat  in 
the  sky  we  must  look  and  look  quickly  for  harborage,  be 
it  good  or  indifferent  bad.  To  many  of  us  the  coast  now 
took  a  wicked  look.  It  was  deep  in  November. 

No  gold.  These  Indians  —  how  vast  anyhow  was  In 
dia?- —  were  hostile,  not  friendly.  Our  ships  were  dying, 
manifestly.  If  they  sank  under  us  and  we  drowned,  the  King 
and  Queen- — if  the  Queen  still  lived  —  never  would  come 

[295] 


1499 


to  know  that  Christopherus  Columbus  had  found  Veragua 
thrice  more  golden  even  than  Paria!  Found  Veragua,  met 
men  of  Yucatan,  and  heard  of  Ciguarre. 

At  last  not  only  the  mutinous  but  steadfast  men  cried,  "  If 
there  is  a  strait  it  is  too  far  with  these  ships !  " 

For  a  time  he  was  obstinate.  It  must  be  found,  —  it  must 
be  found!  But  one  night  there  fell  all  but  loss  of  the  Mar 
garita.  When  next  he  slept  he  had  a  dream.  "  The  good 
Queen  came  to  me  and  she  had  in  her  hand  a  picture  of  five 
stout  ships.  Out  of  her  lips  came  a  singing  voice.  '  Master 
Christopherus,  Master  Christopherus,  these  wait  for  you, 
riding  in  Cadiz  harbor!  But  now  will  you  slay  your  son 
and  your  brother  and  all  your  men  ? '  Then  she  said,  '  The 
strait  is  hidden  for  a  while,'  and  went." 

That  day  we  turned.  "  We  will  go  back  to  Veragua  and 
lade  with  gold,  and  then  we'll  sail  to  Jamaica  and  to  Hispan- 
iola  where  this  time  we  shall  be  welcome!  Then  to  Spain 
where  the  Queen  will  give  me  a  stronger  fleet." 

Our  ships  hailed  the  turning.  Even  the  Adelantado,  even 
Diego  Mendez  and  Juan  Sanchez  and  Bartholomew  Fiesco 
who  were  of  the  boldest  drew  long  breath  as  of  men  respited 
from  death. 

Not  so  many  have  known  and  lived  to  tell  of  such  weather 
as  now  we  met  and  in  it  rolled  from  wave  to  wave  through 
a  long  month. 

Would  we  put  to  land  we  were  beaten  back.  We  had 
never  seen  such  waves,  and  at  times  they  glowed  with  cold 
fire.  The  sea  with  the  wind  twisted,  danced  and  shouted. 
We  were  deaf  with  thunder  and  blind  with  lightning.  When 
the  rain  descended,  it  was  as  though  an  upper  ocean  were 
coming  down.  A  little  surcease,  then  return  of  the  tempest, 
like  return  of  Polyphemus.  Men  died  from  drowning,  and, 
I  think,  from  pure  fright.  One  day  the  clouds  drove  down, 
the  sea  whirled  up.  There  was  made  a  huge  water  column, 
a  moving  column  that  fast  grew  larger.  Crying  out,  our 
sailors  flung  themselves  upon  their  knees.  It  passed  us 
with  a  mighty  sound,  and  we  were  not  engulfed. 

[296] 


The  Admiral  said,  "  God  tries  us,  but  he  will  not  destroy 
us  utterly ! " 

The  boy  Fernando,  in  a  moment's  wild  terror  who  was 
ordinarily  courageous  as  any,  clung  to  him.  "  O  my  son! 
I  would  that  you  were  in  La  Rabida,  safe  beside  Fray  Juan 
Perez !  My  son  and  my  brother  Bartholomew !  " 

Now  came  to  us  all  scarcity  of  food  and  a  misery  of  sick 
ness.  Now  two  thirds  would  have  mutinied  had  we  not 
been  going  back  —  but  we  were  going  back  —  creeping, 
crawling  back  as  the  tempest  would  allow  us. 

Christmas!  We  remembered  our  first  Christmas  in  this 
world,  by  Guarico  in  Hispaniola,  when  the  Santa  Maria 
sank.  Again  we  found  a  harbor,  and  we  lay  there  between 
dead  and  alive,  until  early  January.  We  sailed  and  on 
Epiphany  Day  entered  a  river  that  we  knew  to  be  in  golden 
Veragua.  The  Admiral  called  it  the  Bethlehem. 

Gold  again,  gold!  Not  on  the  Bethlehem,  but  on  trie 
river  of  Veragua,  not  far  away,  to  which  the  Admiral  sent 
the  Adelantado  and  two  long  boats  filled  with  our  stoutest 
men.  They  brought  back  gold,  gold,  gold! 

The  cacique  of  these  parts  was  Quibian,  a  barbarian  whom 
at  the  last,  not  the  first,  we  concluded  to  be  true  brother  of 
Caonabo. 

With  threescore  of  our  strongest,  the  Adelantado  pushed 
again  up  the  river  of  Veragua,  too  rough  and  shallow  for 
our  ships.  He  visited  Quibian ;  he  traded  for  gold ;  he  was 
taken  far  inland  and  from  a  hill  observed  a  country  of  the 
noblest,  vale  and  mountain  and  Indian  smokes.  The  moun 
tains,  the  Indians  said,  were  packed  with  gold.  He  brought 
back  much  gold,  Indians  bearing  it  for  him  in  deep  baskets 
that  they  made. 

Quibian  paid  us  a  visit,  looked  sullenly  around,  and  left 
us.  Not  in  the  least  was  he  Guacanagari!  But  neither, 
quite  yet,  did  he  turn  into  Caonabo. 

The  Admiral  sat  pondering,  his  hands  before  him  between 
his  knees,  his  gray-blue  eyes  looking  further  than  the  far 
mountains.  Later,  on  the  shore,  he  and  the  Adelantado 

[297] 


walked  up  and  down  under  palm  trees.    The  crews  watched 
tjhem,  knowing  they  were  planning. 

What  they  planned  came  forth  the  next  day,  and  it  was 
nothing  short  of  a  colony,  a  settlement  upon  the  banks  of 
the  river  Bethlehem. 

Christopherus  Columbus  spoke,  —  tall,  powerful,  gaunt, 
white-headed,  gray-eyed,  trusted  because  he  himself  so 
trusted,  suasive,  rilled  with  the  power  of  his  vision.  His 
frame  was  growing  old,  but  he  himself  stayed  young.  His 
voice  never  grew  old,  nor  the  gray-blue  light  from  his  eyes. 
Here  was  gold  at  last,  and  Veragua  manifestly  richer  than  all 
Hispaniola  ;  aye,  richer  than  Paria !  Behind  Veragua  ran  Ci- 
guarre  that  was  fabulously  rich,  that  was  indeed  India  slop 
ing  to  Ganges.  The  Indians  were  friendly  enough  for  all 
their  drum-beating  and  shell-blowing.  Quibian's  first  frown 
ing  aspect  had  been  but  aspect.  A  scarlet  cloak  and  a  sack 
full  of  toys  had  made  all  right.  There  was  rest  on  land, 
with  fruit  and  maize  as  we  saw.  Build  a  fort  —  leave  a 
ship  —  divide  our  force.  A  half  would  rest  here,  first  set 
tlers  of  a  golden  country  with  all  first  settlers'  advantage. 
Half  sail  with  Christopherus  Columbus  back  to  Spain  — 
straight  to  Spain  —  for  supplies  and  men.  He  would  re 
turn,  he  swore  it,  with  all  speed.  A  ship  should  be  left, 
and  beyond  the  ship,  the  Adelantado.  —  It  was  for  volunteers 
lor  the  fortress  and  city  of  Veragua! 

In  the  end  eighty  men  said  "  We  will  stay."  We  began 
to  build.  How  long  since  we  had  built  La  Navidad! 

The  River  Bethlehem,  that  had  been  full  when  we  entered, 
now  was  half  empty  of  its  waters.  The  Consolation,  the 
Juana,  and  the  San  Sebastian  that  were  to  depart  for  Spain 
could  not  pass.  The  Admiral  hung,  fitted  to  go,  but  waiting 
perforce  for  rains  that  should  lift  the  ships  so  they  might 
pass  the  bar. 

Again  Juan  Lepe  was  to  stay  —  so  surely  would  the  stay 
ing  need  a  physician. 

"  It  is  March,"  said  the  Admiral.  "  God  aiding,  I  and 
Fernando  shall  be  back  in  October  at  latest." 

[298] 


1490 


These  Indians  seemed  to  us  to  have  Carib  markings.  Yet 
they  all  professed  amity  and  continuously  brought  in  gold. 
We  began  to  build  by  the  fort  a  storehouse  for  much  gold. 

Suddenly  we  found  —  Diego  Mendez,  bold  enough  and 
a  great  wanderer,  doing  the  finding  —  that  Quibian's  village 
tip  the  river  of  Veragua  contained  many  too  many  young 
men  and  men  in  their  prime,  and  that  by  day  and  night 
these  continued  to  pour  in.  It  had  —  Diego  Mendez  thought 
—  much  the  aspect  of  a  camp  whose  general  steadily  re 
ceived  reinforcement. 

Next  day  came  to  the  Admiral  an  Indian  who  betrayed 
his  people.  Quibian  never  meant  to  have  in  Veragua  a 
swarm  of  white  caciques!  When  he  had  about  him  every 
young  man,  he  was  coming,  coming,  coming  through  the 
woods ! 

The  Admiral  sent  the  Adelantado.  That  strong  man  chose 
fourscore  Spaniards,  armed  them  and  departed.  By  boat 
and  through  thick  forest  he  reached  Quibian's  village,  de 
scended  upon  it  like  a  hurricane  and  seized  Quibian,  much 
as  long  ago  —  long,  long  ago  it  seemed  to  us  —  Alonso  de 
Ojeda  had  seized  Caonabo. 

Juan  Sanchez  the  pilot  held  Quibian  in  the  long  boat 
while  the  Adelantado  still  wrought  upon  the  land.  Juan 
Sanchez  was  strong  and  wary,  and  watchful ;  so  they  swore 
were  all  the  Spaniards  in  the  boat.  Yet  when  night  was 
fallen  that  Indian,  bound  as  he  was,  broke  with  a  shout 
from  them  all  and  leaped  from  boat  into  black  river. 

They  thought  he  perished,  seeing  him  no  more  for  all 
their  moving  about  and  bringing  the  boat  to  the  land.  Juan 
Sanchez  was  certain  he  sank,  bound  as  he  was.  With  other 
captives  and  with  a  great  mass  of  golden  ornaments,  came 
back  to  the  ships  the  Adelantado.  The  Indian  camp  was 
broken,  dispersed. 

The  rains  began  to  fall.  The  river  swelled ;  the  fort  and 
store  place  and  other  houses  were  builded. 

The  eighty  who  were  to  stay  and  the  something  under 
that  number  who  were  to  go  prepared  to  say  farewell.  We 

[299] 


went  to  mass  under  three  palm  trees,  before  our  fort  on  the 
river  Bethlehem.  That  over,  those  who  were  to  go  went 
aboard  the  three  ships,  and  the  sails  were  made,  and  they 
began  to  sing  as  they  passed  down  the  Bethlehem.  The 
Margarita  and  we  watched  their  going. 

They  went  a  league,  and  then  another  —  we  thought  they 
were  wholly  gone.  But  out  of  the  river,  though  the  skies 
were  clear,  again  rushed  against  them  an  enemy  wind.  They 
lay  at  anchor  in  river  mouth,  waiting  on  propitiousness.  But 
we,  up  the  river,  thought  they  were  gone.  That  night,  be 
fore  dawn,  Quibian  attacked  us. 

We  had  several  killed,  and  the  Adelantado  was  hurt  in 
the  breast,  and  many  others  had  their  wounds.  But  we 
thundered  with  our  cannon  and  we  loosed  two  bloodhounds 
and  we  charged.  For  a  time  the  brown,  naked  foe  fought 
desperately,  but  at  last  he  broke.  Far  streamed  five  hun 
dred  fleeing  particles  into  the  gloomy,  the  deep,  the  matted 
forest.  Up  the  river  came  a  long  boat,  and  we  found  it 
to  hold  Diego  Tristan  and  eight  men  sent  by  the  Admiral 
with  a  forgotten  word  for  the  Adelantado.  Much  we  re 
joiced  that  the  ships  were  not  clean  gone! 

Diego  Tristan  took  our  news.  The  Adelantado  —  his  hurt 
was  slight  —  wrote  again  to  the  Admiral.  Again  we  said 
farewell  to  Diego  Tristan.  The  long  boat  passed  a  turn 
in  the  Bethlehem,  out  of  our  sight.  Once  we  thought  we 
heard  a  faint  and  distant  shouting,  but  there  was  no  telling. 
But  in  five  hours  there  staggered  into  fort  Juan  de  Noya 
who  alone  lived  of  that  boatful,  set  upon  by  Quibian.  Diego 
Tristan  dead,  and  seven  men. 

All  that  night  we  heard  in  the  wood  those  throbbing  Indian 
drums  and  wild-blowing  shells. 

They  were  Caribs,  now  we  were  sure,  and  Quibian  lived 
and  preached  a  holy  war.  Though  we  had  driven  them  off, 
we  heard  them  mustering  again.  If  we  could  not  get  food 
—  perhaps  not  water? 

Sixty  of  ours  came  to  the  Adelantado.  In  truth,  all  might 
have  come,  for  massacre,  slow  or  swift,  was  certain  if  we 

[300] 


stayed  in  Veragua.  I  read  that  the  Adelantado,  who  was 
never  accused  of  cowardice  or  fickleness,  was  himself  deter 
mined.  The  settlement  below  the  golden  mines  of  golden 
Veragua  must  wait  a  little. 

We  took  our  wounded  and  with  the  Adelantado,  turned 
Mars  in  these  three  days,  came  down  to  the  Bethlehem,  to 
a  pebbly  shore  from  which  the  water  had  shrunken.  Here 
at  least  was  our  ship  with  us,  and  the  river  that  bore  to 
the  sea.  Here,  for  the  weather  was  ferocious  and  Quibian 
howling  around  us,  we  built  what  shelter  we  might.  Here 
in  much  misery  we  waited  days  for  the  long  and  wild  storm 
to  cease.  We  hoped  the  Admiral  was  yet  at  the  mouth  of 
the  Bethlehem,  but  could  not  do  more  than  hope. 

Then  came  through  every  peril  that  might  be  Pedro  Le- 
desma  from  the  ships.  They  waited!  Break  through  — 
come  down! 

The  Margarita  could  never  pass  the  bar  that  now  the  fall 
ing  water  left  exposed.  We  made  rafts,  we  dismantled  her 
and  took  what  we  could ;  we  left  her  in  Veragua  for  Quibian 
to  walk  her  deck  and  sail  her  if  he  might.  Through  danger 
in  multitude,  with  our  rafts  and  two  boats,  with  the  loss 
of  six  men,  we  went  down  the  Bethlehem.  Some  of  ours 
wept  when  they  saw  the  ships,  and  the  Admiral  wept  when 
he  and  the  Adelantado  met. 

Away  from  Veragua! 

Is  it  only  the  Spaniards  who  suffer,  and  for  what  at  the 
last,  not  at  the  first,  did  Quibian  fight?  In  that  strong  raid 
when  we  thought  Quibian  perished  had  been  taken  captive 
brothers  and  kinsmen  of  that  cacique.  These  were  prisoned 
upon  the  Juana,  to  be  taken  to  Spain,  shown,  made  Chris 
tian,  perhaps  sold,  perhaps  —  who  knows?  —  returned  to 
their  land,  but  never  to  freedom. 

While  the  Juana  tossed  where  Bethlehem  met  the  sea, 
these  Indians  broke  in  the  night  time  up  through  hatchway 
and  made  for  the  side  to  throw  themselves  over.  But  the 
watch  gave  a  great  cry  and  sprang  upon  them,  and  other 
Spaniards  came  instantly.  All  but  two  were  retaken.  These 

[301] 


two,  wrenching  themselves  free,  sprang  away  into  rough 
water  and  dark  night,  and  it  is  most  likely  that  they  drowned, 
being  a  mile  from  shore.  But  the  others  were  thrust  back 
and  down  under  hatch  which  then  was  chained  so  that  they 
might  not  again  lift  it.  But  in  the  morning  when  the  cap 
tain  of  the  Juana  went  to  look,  all,  all  were  dead,  having 
hanged  themselves. 


F302] 


CHAPTER  XLIII 

WE  left  one  of  our  ships  in  the  Bethlehem  and  we 
lost  another  upon  this  disastrous  coast  ere  we  got 
clear  for  Jamaica. 

We  were  sea  specters.  We  had  saved  our  men  from  the 
San  Sebastian  as  from  the  Margarita.  Now  all  were  upon 
the  Consolation  and  the  Juana.  Fifty  fewer  were  we  than 
when  we  had  sailed  from  Cadiz,  yet  the  two  ships  crept 
over-full.  And  they  were  like  creatures  overcome  with  eld. 
Beaten^  crazed,  falling  apart. 

On  the  Eve  of  Saint  John  we  came  to  Jamaica. 

The  ships  were  riddled  by  the  teredo.  We  could  not  keep 
afloat  to  go  to  Hispaniola.  At  Santa  Gloria  we  ran  them 
in  quiet  water  side  by  side  upon  the  sand.  They  partly 
filled,  they  settled  down,  only  forecastle  and  poop  above  the 
blue  mirror.  We  built  shelters  upon  them  and  bridged  the 
space  between.  The  ocean  wanderers  were  turned  into  a 
fort. 

Jamaica,  we  thanked  all  the  saints,  was  a  friendly  land. 
They  brought  us  cassava  and  fruit,  these  Indians;  they 
swarmed  about  us  in  their  canoes.  The  gods  in  trouble,  yet 
still  the  gods! 

We  were  forty  leagues  from  Hispaniola,  and  we  had  no 
ship! 

Again  there  volunteered  Diego  Mendez.  We  ourselves 
had  now  but  one  Christian  boat.  But  there  existed  canoes 
a-plenty.  Chose  one,  with  six  Indians  to  row !  Leave  Diego 
Mendez  with  one  other  Spaniard  of  his  choice  to  cross  the 
sea  between  us  and  Hispaniola,  get  to  San  Domingo,  rouse 
all  Christian  men,  even  Don  Nicholas  de  Ovanda,  procure 

[303] 


1492 


a   large   ship  or   two   smaller   ones,    return   with  rescue! 

We  sent  off  Diego  Mendez  with  strong  farewells  and 
blessings.  The  vast  blue  sea  and  air  withdrew  and  covered 
from  sight  the  canoe. 

A  week  —  two  weeks.  Grew  out  of  the  azure  a  single 
canoe,  and  approached.  "  Diego  Mendez  —  Diego  Mendez !  " 

It  was  he  alone,  with  a  tale  to  tell  of  storm  and  putting 
ashore  and  capture  after  battle  by  Jamaicans  no  longer 
friendly,  and  of  escape  alone.  But  he  would  go  again  if 
so  be  he  might  have  with  him  Bartholomew  Fiesco.  They 
went,  with  heavily  paid  Indians  to  row  the  staunchest  canoe 
we  could  find.  This  time  the  Adelantado  with  twenty  kept 
them  company  along  the  shore  to  end  of  the  island,  where 
the  canoe  shot  forth  into  clear  sea,  and  the  blue  curtain 
came  down  between  the  stranded  and  the  going  for  help. 
The  Adelantado  returned  to  us,  and  we  waited.  The  weeks 
crept  by. 

Great  heat  and  sickness,  and  the  Indians  no  longer  prompt 
to  bring  us  supplies.  Sooner  or  later,  each  of  these  dark 
peoples  found  a  Quibian  or  Caonabo. 

The  most  of  us  determined  that  Diego  Mendez  and  Fiesco 
and  their  canoe  were  lost.  Hispaniola  knew  nothing  of  us 

—  nothing,   nothing!      Suddenly   the  two    Porras  brothers 
led  a  mad  mutiny.     "  Leave  these  rotting  ships  —  seize  the 
canoes  we  need  —  all  of  us  row  or  swim  to  Hispaniola !  " 

There  were  fifty  who  thought  thus.  The  Admiral  with 
stood  them  with  strong  words,  with  the  reasoning  of  a 
master  seaman,  and  the  counsel  now  —  his  white  and  long 
hair,  and  eld  upon  him  —  of  Jacob  or  Isaac  or  Abraham. 
But  they  would  not,  and  they  would  not,  and  at  last  they 
departed  from  us,  taking  —  but  the  Admiral  gave  them  freely 

—  the  dozen  canoes  that  we  had  purchased,  crowding  into 
these,  rowing  away  with  cries  from  that  sea  fortress,  melan 
choly  indeed,  in  the  blinding  light. 

They  vanished.  The  next  day  fair,  the  next  a  mad  storm. 
Two  weeks,  and  news  came  of  them.  They  were  not  nigh 
to  Hispaniola ;  wrecked,  they  lost  five  men,  but  got,  the  rest 

[304] 


of  them,  to  land,  where  they  now  roved  from  village  to 
village.  Another  week,  and  the  Indians  who  came  to  us, 
and  whom  we  kept  friendly,  related  with  passionate  and 
eloquent  word  and  gesture  evils  that  that  band  was  work 
ing.  Pedro  Margarite  —  Roldan  —  over  and  over  again ! 

After  much  of  up  and  down  those  mutineers  came  back 
to  us.  They  could  not  do  without  us ;  they  could  not  get  to 
Hispaniola  in  Indian  canoes.  The  Admiral  received  them 
fatherly. 

No  sail  —  no  sail.  Long  months  and  no  sail.  Surely 
Diego  Mendez  and  Bartholomew  Fiesco  were  drowned! 
Hispaniola,  if  it  thought  of  us  at  all,  might  think  us  now 
by  Ganges.  Or  as  lost  at  sea. 

Christopherus  Columbus  dreamed  again,  or  had  a  vision 
again.  "  I  was  hopeless.  I  wept  alone  on  a  desert  shore. 
My  name  had  faded,  and  all  that  I  had  done  was  broken  into 
sand  and  swept  away.  I  repined,-  and  cried, '  Why  is  it  thus  ?  ' 
Then  came  a  ship  not  like  ours,  and  One  stepped  from  it 
in  light  and  thunder.  *  O  man  of  little  faith,  I  will  cover 
thy  eyes  of  to-day ! '  He  covered  them,  and  I  saw. —  And 
now,  Juan  Lepe,  I  care  not!  We  will  all  come  Home, 
whether  or  no  the  wave  covers  us  here." 

To  mariners  and  adventurers  he  said  at  no  time  any  word 
of  despair.  He  said,  "A  ship  will  come!  For  if  —  which 
the  saints  f orf end  —  Bartholomew  Fiesco  and  Diego  Mendez 
have  not  reached  San  Domingo,  yet  come  at  last  will  some 
craft  to  Jamaica !  From  our  island  or  from  Spain.  How 
many  times  since  '92  has  there  been  touching  here?  Of 
need  now  it  will  be  oftener  and  oftener ! " 

But  still  many  pined  with  hope  deferred. —  And  then, 
out  of  the  blue,  arose  first  Diego  de  Escobar's  small  ship, 
and  later  the  two  good  ships  sent  by  Don  Nicholas  de 
Ovando. 

The  Admiral  of  the  Ocean-Sea  lodged  in  the  Governor's 
house  in  San  Domingo.  Who  so  courteous  as  Don  Nicholas, 
saving  only  Don  Cristoval? 

[305] 


149Q 


Juan  Lepe  found  certain  ones  and  his  own  eyes  to  tell 
him  of  island  fortunes.  Here  was  Sancho,  a  bearded  man, 
and  yet  looked  out  the  youth  who  had  walked  from  Fisher- 
town  to  Palos  strand.  "  Oh,  aye !  San  Domingo's  growing ! 
It's  to  be  as  great  as  Seville,  with  cathedral  and  fortress  and 
palace.  White  men  build  fast,  though  not  so  fast  as  the 
Lord!" 

"The  Governor?" 

"  Oh,  he  makes  things  spin !  He's  hard  on  the  Indians  — 
but  then  they've  surely  given  us  trouble !  " 

He  told  of  new  forts  and  projected  towns  and  an  increas 
ing  stream  of  ships,  from  Spain  to  Spain  again.  "  We're 
here  to  stay  —  as  long  as  there's  a  rock  of  gold  or  any 
thing  that  can  be  turned  into  gold!  The  old  bad  times 
are  over — -and  that  old,  first  simple  joy,  too,  Doctor!  — 
Maybe  we'll  all  ship  for  Ciguarre." 

But  no.  The  colony  now  was  firm,  with  thousands  of 
Spaniards  where  once  had  stood  fivescore.  Luis  Torres  sat 
with  me  and  he  told  me  of  Indian  war,  —  of  Anacaona 
hanged  and  Cotubanama  hanged,  of  eighty  caciques  burned 
or  hanged,  of  peace  at  last.  Now  the  Indians  worked  the 
mines,  and  scraped  the  sands  of  every  stream,  and  likewise 
planted  cotton  and  maize  for  the  conquerors.  They  were 
gathered  in  repartimentios,  encomiendas,  parceled  out,  so 
many  to  every  Spaniard  with  power.  The  old  word  "  gods  " 
had  gone  out  of  use.  "  Master  "  was  now  the  plain  and 
accurate  term. 

The  Governor  was  a  shrewd,  political,  strong  man,  —  not 
without  his  generosities  to  white  men.  But  no  dreamer! 
He  put  down  faction,  but  there  was  now  less  faction  to 
put  down.  All  had  been  united'  in  mastering  the  Indian, 
and  now  with  peace  the  getting  of  wealth  was1  regularized. 
He  had  absolutely  the  ear  of  King  Ferdinand,  and  help  from 
Spain  whenever  he  called  for  it.  Yes,  he  was  fairly  liked 
by  the  generality.  And  had  I  noticed  the  growth  in  cowls 
and  processions?  Mother  Church  was  moving  in. 

The  next  day  I  met  again  Bartolome  de  Las  Casas. 

[306] 


September  now  —  and  a  ship  from  Spain,  bringing  the 
news  that  the  Queen  was  ill.  There  was  another  who  was 
ill,  and  that  was  the  Admiral  of  the  Ocean-Sea: 

"  I  must  go  —  and  we  quarrel  here,  this  Governor-in-my- 
place  and  I  —  I  must  go,  rest  at  La  Rabida  with  you;  Doc 
tor,  and  Fray  Juan  Perez  to  help  me.  Then  I  must  go  to 
court  and  see  the  Queen."  ' 

The  Adelantado  said,  "  Both  you  and  the  Queen  will  get 
well.  What,  brother,  your  voyages  are  just  begun!  But 
let  us  sail  now  for  Spain.  I  think  well  of  that." 

And  the  son  Fernando,  "  Yes,  yes,  let  us  go  home,  father, 
and  see  Diego!" 


[307] 


CHAPTER  XLIV 

IT  was  Seville,  and  an- inn  there,  and  the  Admiral  of  the 
Ocean-Sea  laid  in-  a  fair  enough  room.     His  gout  mana 
cled  him,  and  another  sickness  crept  upon  him,  but  he 
could  think,  talk  and  write,  and  at  times,  for  serenity  and 
a  breath  of  pleasure,  read.     He  was  ever  a  reader. 

About  him,  all  day  long,  came  people.  They  called  them 
selves  friends,  and  many  were  friends.  But  some  used  that 
holy  word  for  robber-mask.  Others  were  the  idlest  wonder- 
seekers,  never  finding,  wonder  within,  always  rushing  for  it 
without.  His  heart,  for  all  his  much  experience,  or  perhaps 
because  of  that,  was  a  simple  heart.  He  took  them  for  what 
they  said  they  were,  for  friends,  and  he  talked  of  the  In 
dies  and  all  his  voyages  past  and  to  come,  for  he  would 
yet  find  Ciguarre  and  retake  the  Sepulchre. 

He  had  not  much  money.  All  his  affairs  were  tangled. 
Yet  he  rested  Admiral  of  the  Ocean-Sea,  and  in  name,  at 
least,  Vic'eroy  of  the  Indies.  He  was  much  concerned  over 
his  mariners  and  others  who  had  returned  with  him  to  Spain. 
All  their  pay  was  in  arrears.  He  wrote  begging  letters  for 
them,  and  with  his  sons  forever  in  his  mind,  for  himself. 
Don  Diego,  Don  Fernando,  they  were  pleasant,  able  youths. 

Fray  Juan  Perez  came  to  Seville.  He  was  worldly  com 
fort,  but  ghostly  comfort  too.  The  Admiral  talked  of  Ci 
guarre  and  Jerusalem,  but  also  now  of  the  New  Jerusalem 
and  the  World-to-come. 

Late  in  November,  at  Medina  del  Campo  Santo  died  the 
Queen ! 

[308] 


14pQ 


He  told  me  a  dream  or  a  vision  that  day.  There  was,  he 
said,  a  fair,  tranquil  shore,  back  of  a  fair,  blue  haven,  and 
his  wife  and  his  mother,  long  dead,  walked  there  in  talk. 
Back  of  the  shore  rose,  he  said,  a  city  with  wonderful  strong 
walls'  and  towers  and  a  perpetual  sweet  ringing  of  church 
bells.  It  seemed  to  climb  to  one  great  palace  and*  church, 
set  about  with  orchards,  with  many  doves.  The  whole 
mounted  like  Monsalvat.  The  city  seemed  to  be  ready  for 
some  one.  They  were  hanging  out  tapestries  and  weaving 
garlands  and  he  heard  musicians.  Everywhere  shone  a  light 
of  gladness.  He  returned  to  the  seashore,  and  walking  with 
his  wife  and  mother,  asked  them  about  the  city.  They  said 
that  it  was  the  Queen's  City.  Then,  he  said?  he  seemed  to 
hear  trumpets,  and  far  on  the  horizon  made'  out  a  sail. — 
Then  city  and  shore  and  all  were  gone,  and  it  was  dark, 
starry  night,  and  he  was  in  the  Azores,  alone,  with  a  staff 
in-  his  hand  that  he  had  drawn  from  the  sea. 

It  was  Fray  Juan  Perez  who  brought  him  news  of  her 
death.  "  Queen  Isabella !  "  he  said  and  turned  to  the  wall 
and  lay  there  praying. 

One  day  there  came  to  see  him-  Amerigo  Vespucci  who 
sailing  with  Ojeda,  knew  Paria.  They  talked  of  that  Vast- 
ness  to  the  south.  The  Venetian  thought  it  might  be  a  con 
tinent  wholly  unknown- alike  to- the  ancients  and  the  moderns. 
"  Known,"  answered  the  Genoese,  "  in  the  far,  far  past ! 
But  unknown,  I  grant,  for  so  long  that  it  has  become  again 
new.  All  a  New  World." 

"  How  should  we  map  it  ?  "  said  the  other.  "  Faith  of 
God !  I  should  like  to  see  the  maps  a  hundred  years 
from  now ! " 

He  had*  something  to  say  of  Sebastian  Cabot  who  was 
finding  northward  for  King  Henry  of  England.  But  laying 
a  fine  small  hand  upon  the  Admiral's  mighty  one,  he  called 
him  "  ma'gister  et  dominiis,  Christopherus  Columbus." 

Winter  wore  away.  With  the  spring  he  seemed  to  be 
better  in  health.  He  left  his  bed.  But  the  physician,  Juan 
Lepe,  believed  that  ports  and  havens,  new  lands,  and  service 

[309] 


of  an  order  above  this  order  were  even  now  coloring  and 
thrilling  within. 

When  all  spring  was  singing  high,  the  Admiral,  having 
had  a  letter  from  the  king,  'said  he  would  go  to  court.  His 
sons  would  have  had  him  travel  in  a  litter,  but  he  waved 
that  away.  The  Adelantado  procured  him  a  mule,  and  with 
his  sons  and  brother  and  a  small  train  beside  he  started, 
the  King  being  at  Segovia.  He  had  a  hardly  scraped  to 
gether  purse  of  gold,  and  all  his  matters  seemed  dejected. 
Yet  his  family  riding  with  him  rode  as  nobles  of  Spain, 
and  his  son,  Don  Diego,  should  one  day  become  Governor 
of  Hispaniola.  Earthly  speaking,  for  all  his  feeling  "  All 
is  vain !  "  he  had  made  his  family.  Unlike  many  families 
so  made,  this  one  was  grateful. 

On  the  road  to  Segovia,  stayings,  restings  and  meetings 
were  cordial  enough  to  him,  for  here  flocked  the  people  to 
see  the  Discoverer.  If  they  heard  his  voice  they  were 
happy ;  if  some  bolder  one  had  a  moment's  speech  with  him 
that  fortunate  went  off  with  the  air  of,  "  My  children's 
children  shall  know  of  this ! "  There  returned  in  this 
springtide  travel  sunniness,  halcyon  weather,  bright  winds 
of  praise.  The  last  health  of  the.  present  body  was  his  upon 
this  journey.  Health  and  strength  harked  back.  All  noted 
it.  Jayme  de  Marchena  held  it  for  the  leap  of  the  flame 
before  sinking,  before  leaving  the  frame  of  this  world. 
But  his  sons  and  Don-  Bartholomew  cried,  "  Why,  father, 
why,  brother,  you  will  outlive  us  yet !  " 

He  rode  firmly;  he  looked  about  with  bright,  blue-gray 
eyes;  his  voice  had  the  old,  powerful  thrill.  It  was  happi 
ness  to  him  when  the  simple  came  crowding,  or  when  in 
some  halt  he  talked  with  two  or  three  or  with  a  solitary. 
The  New  Lands  and  the  Vast  Change,  and  it  would  affect 
all  our  life,  this  way,  that  way  and  the  other  way. 

But  when  we  came  to  Segovia,  the  King  was  dead,  not 
alive,  to  Christopherus  Columbus.  Not  dead  to  the  Indies, 
no!  But  dead  to  their  old  discoverer.  We  had  chilly 
weather,  miserable,  and  all  the  buds  of  promise  went  back. 

[310] 


Or  rather  there  were  promises,  cold  smiles,  but  even  he,  the 
Genoese,  saw  at  last  that  these  buds  were  simulacra,  never 
meant  to  bloom. 

The  Queen  was  gone.  The  Court  wore  the  King's  color. 
Then  the  King  went  to  Laredo  to  meet  his  daughter  Juana, 
who  was  now  Queen  of  Castile.  With  him  went  all  of  im 
portance.  Segovia  became  a  dull  and  somewhat  hostile  water 
where  rode  at  last  anchor  the  ship  of  the  Admiral. 


[311] 


CHAPTER  XLV 

DON  FERNANDO  met  me  at  the  door.    "  He  is  wander 
ing —  he  thinks  he  is  in  Cordova  with  my  mother." 
He  came  from  that  and  said  he  would  get  up  and 
go  to  mass.     Persuaded  to  lie  quiet,  he  talked  of  his  will, 
drawn  before  his  third  voyage,  and  said  that  he  would  have 
it  read  to  him,  and  make  a  codicil. 

This  will.     It  ran  at  length  through  preamble  and  body. 

"  In  the  name  of  the  most  Holy  Trinity  who  revealed  it 
to  me  that  I  could  sail  westward  across  Ocean-Sea  — 

"  As  it  pleased  God,  in  the  year  one  thousand,  four  hun 
dred  and  ninety-two,  I  discovered  the  Continent  of  the  In 
dies  and  many  islands.  I  returned  to  Cadiz  to  their  Majesties 
who  allowed  my  going  a- second  voyage,  and  in  this  God  gave 
me  victory  over  the  island  of  Hispaniola,  which  covers  six 
hundred  leagues,  and  I  conquered  it  and  made  it  tributary; 
and1  I  discovered  many  islands  dwelled  in  by  Caribals  or 
eaters  of  men's  flesh,  and  also  Jamaica  which  I  named 
Santiago,  and  three  hundred  and  thirty  leagues  of  Con 
tinent  from  south  to  west  —  " 

He  recited  his  rights,  dignities,  tithes,  emoluments, — 
'"  whereto  I  have  the  sacred  word  of  the  Sovereigns."  Then 
came  the  heirship.  All  upon  Don  Diego  and  the  heirs  of 
his  body,  with  lavish  provision  for  the  younger  son,  "  hav 
ing  great  qualities  and  most  dear  to  me,"  and  for  the  brothers, 
but  more  especially  the  Adelantado.  Followed  gifts  to  friends 
and  companions,  and  then  far-flung  benefactions. 

Son  and  son's  son  must  give,  year  following  year,  a  tenth 
of  revenue  from  the  Indies  to  the  help  of  needy  men. 

[312] 


1490 


"  In  the  city  of  Genoa  in  Italy  is  to  be  maintained  a 
man  and  his  wife  of  the  line  of  our  family  of  which  he  is 
to  be  the  root  in  that  city,  from  whence  all  good  may  derive 
unto  her,  for  I  was  born  there  and  came  from  thence/' 

The  taking  of  the  Sepulchre.  Into  the  Bank  of  Saint 
George  in  Genoa,  "that  noble  and  potent  city"  was  to  be 
put  what  moneys  could  be  saved  and  collected  for  the  pur 
pose,  "  and  one  day  God  will  bring  the  purpose  about." 

His  heirs  must  support  the  Crown  of  Spain,  "  seeing  that 
these  Sovereigns,  next  to  God,  are  responsible  for  my  achiev 
ing  the  property,  though  true  it  is  that  I  came  into  this  coun 
try  to  invite  them  to  the  enterprise,  and  that  a  long  while 
passed  before  they  allowed  me  to  execute  it,  but  this  should 
not  surprise  us  as  it  was  an  undertaking  of  which  all  the 
world  was  ignorant  and  no  one  had  any  faith  in  it."  And 
if  schism  arose  in  Christendom,  his  heirs  must  to  their  utter 
most  support  His  Holiness  the  Pope,  and  give  all  and  die, 
if  need  be,  defending  the  Church  of  God.  And-  where  it 
was  possible  and  not  contrary  to  the  service  and  the  claims 
of  the  Sovereigns  of  Spain,  "  let  them  give  aid  and  service 
to  that  noble  city  of  Genoa  from  which  we  all  spring." 

Such  and  such  moneys,  accruing,  were  to  be  applied  to 
making  fit  marriages  for  the  daughters  of  the  line. 

And  let  Don  Diego  his  son  build  in  the  island  of  Hispan- 
iola  a  church  and  call  it  Santa  Maria  de  la  Concepcion,  a 
church  and  a  hospital  and  a  chapel  where  masses  might  be 
said  for  the  good  of  the  soul  of  Christopherus  Columbus. 
"  Doubtless  God  will  be  pleased  to  give  us  revenue  enough 
for  this  and  all  purposes."  And  let  them  maintain  in  the 
island  of  Hispaniola  four  good  teachers  of  theology  to 
convert  to  the  One  Faith  the  inhabitants  of  the  Indies,  "  to 
which  end  no  expense  should  be  thought  too  considerable." 

Many  other  things  he  provided  for.  He  cared  for  that 
Dona  Beatrix  who  had  given  him  Fernando.  Where  he  had 
met  kindness,  there  he  gave  as  best  he  might.  Among  other 
small  bequests  was  a  silver  mark  to  a  poor  Jew  who  had 
done  him  service,  who  lived  at  the  gate  of  the  Ghetto  in 

[313] 


Lisbon.  He  gave  to  many,  and  closed  his  will  and  signed 
it  with  his  signet  letters  and  below  these,  EL  ALMIRANTE. 

After  this  there  came  a  second  leap  of  the  flame.  Queen 
Juana  was  with  her  husband,  King  Phillip,  in  Laredo,— 
Queen  of  Castile  as  had  been  the  good  Queen  her  mother. 
The  Admiral,  utterly  revering  the  Queen  who  was  gone, 
wrote  to  the  daughter  Queen  a  stately  letter  of  high  comfort 
and  offer  and  promise  of  service.  He  would  have  the 
Adelantado,  no  less  a  man,  bear  this  to  Laredo.  Don  Bar 
tholomew  spoke  aside  to  Juan  Lepe.  "If  I  do  as  he  wished, 
I  do  not  know  if  I  -will  see  him  again." 

"  I  do  not  know,"  I  answered.  "  But  his  heart  is  set  on 
it." 

"Then  I  will  go,"  he  said.  "And  many's  the  time  I 
have  thought, '  I  shall  never  see  him  again  ',  and  still  we  met." 

For  several  days  after  this  I  thought  that  after  all  he 
might  recover.  Perhaps  even  sail  again  on  earthly  dis 
coveries.  Then,  in  a  night,  came  the  unmistakable  stroke 
upon  the  door. 

He  sank,  and  knew  now  that  he  was  putting  off  the  body. 
Fray  Juan  Perez  stayed  beside  him.  His  sons  and  his  brother 
Diego  waited  with  reddened  eyes.  It  was  full  May,  and 
the  bland  wind  strayed  in  and  out  of  window  and  fluttered 
his  many  papers  upon  the  great  table.  It  was  toward  even 
ing  of  Ascension  Day.  His  son  Fernando  threw  himself  on 
the  bed,  weeping.  The  Admiral's  great  hand  fell  upon  the 
youth's  head.  He  looked  to  the  window  and  said  clearly, 
"  A  light  —  yonder  is  a  light ! "  and  after  a  moment,  "  In 
manus  tuas  Domine  commendo  spiritum  meum" 

The  sea  by  Palos  and  June  in  Andalusia.  Juan  Lepe, 
staying  at  La  Rabida,  walked  along  the  sands  and  saw  Life 
like  a  mighty,  breathing  picture.  He  stood  by  the  sea 
and  the  ripples  broke  at  his  feet,  and  he  felt  and  knew  the 
Master  of  Life,  there  where  feeling  and  knowing  pass  into 
Being. 

He  walked  a  mile  beside  Ocean- Sea,  then  sat  down  beneath 

[314] 


149Q 


ridged  sand  with  the  wind  singing  over.    It  sang,  Where  now, 
Jayme  de  Marchena  —  where  now  —  where  now? 

I  sat  still.  Spain  rose  behind  me,  Spain  and  Europe. 
Before  me,  out  of  sea,  lifted  the  ,New  Lands.  There  fell 
a  moment  of  great  calm  and  quiet.  Then,  fleeting,  like  a 
spirit,  passed  before  me  the  Indian  Guarin  who  had  saved 
me  after  La  Navidad.  I  saw  his  dark  eyes,  then  he  went. 
Still  space  without  color  or  line  or  form,  and  outside,  dream 
ily,  dreamily,  the  ocean  sounding  below  La  Rabida.  Then,  in 
the  clear  field  rose  Bartolome  de  Las  Casas.  A  quiet,  sing 
ing  voice  ran  through  Jayme  de  Marchena,  and  he  knew  that 
he  would  return  to  Hispaniola  and  link  his  life  with  that 
younger  life  which  apparently  had  work  to  do  in  the  Indies. 


THE  END 


[315] 


SILVER  CROSS 


By  MARY  JOHNSTON 

12mo.     Cloth.     289  pages. 


"Tuld  in  quaint  and  curious  fashion,  this  tale  ...  is  in  every 
way  like  a  piece  of  old,  hand-wrought  tapestry.  It  is  ...  a 
fascinating  compound  of  history  and  romance  and  mysticism. 
To  read  it  is  to  step  out  of  our  modern  life  into  a  world  possessed  of 
a  glamor  our  own  can  never  have." — Louise  Maunsdl  Field  in  The 
New  York  Times. 

"It  is  a  story  vigorously  advanced,  always  richly  colored,  always 
romantic  in  tone.  It  is  Miss  Johnston's  best  writing  of  recent 
years." — Sidney  Williams  in  The  Philadelphia  North  American. 

"The  whole  story  goes  with  a  swing  that  is  refreshing  —  a 
rhythm,  perhaps,  rather  than  a  swing,  both  in  its  matter  and  in 
the  delightful  manner  with  which  Miss  Johnston  clothes  her  narra 
tives." —  The  Boston  Herald. 

"The  story  moves  with  the  rhythm,  the  beauty,  and  the  rich 
ness  of  a  Shakespearean  pageant.  There  is  music  in  its  writing, 
and  poetry;  there  is  a  deftness  of  touch,  a  shrewdness  and  an  irony, 
and  through  it  all,  a  kindliness  that  makes  one  thankful  to  Mary 
Johnston  for  having  rounded  up  all  the  experience  of  her  life  and 
her  art  into  this  masterful  effort." —  Cosmo  Hamilton  in  The 
Philadelphia  Ledger. 


BOSTON  LITTLE,  BROWN  &  COMPANY  PUBLISHERS 


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